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Manoj Bajpayee feels he should have had more scenes in Shah Rukh Khan-Preity Zinta's Veer Zaara: 'More focus is given to the hero and heroine...'
Manoj Bajpayee discussed his role in Veer-Zaara, feeling that his character deserved more scenes, but he expressed gratitude for getting the chance to work with Yash Chopra.
Manoj Bajpayee recently celebrated his 100th film release with Bhaiyya Ji. Reflecting on his extensive career, he reminisced about his role in Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara. While he expressed great pride in working with the renowned director, he also noted that he believes his character could have been given more screen time.
In an interview with Radio Nasha, Manoj Bajpayee discussed his role in Veer Zaara and explained why Yash Chopra selected him for the part of Zaara’s fiancé. He shared that he had a positive experience working on the film, noting that his shooting took place over just four days—three in Delhi and one in Amritsar. He described his role as more of a guest appearance but emphasized the immense respect he received from Yash Chopra and his team. Bajpayee expressed his lasting happiness at having been directed by such a renowned filmmaker.
He added that Yash Chopra was very straightforward about his role in the film, explaining, “Yash Chopra told me, ‘This is the role I have for you. I mostly make romantic films, but when I had to cast for this role, I could only think of you.’ Yash ji had watched me in Pinjar and that’s why he cast me for that role.”
Manoj Bajpayee felt that his role in Veer Zaara warranted more screen time. He explained that while the film focuses on the main couple, his character’s storyline could have been enhanced with additional scenes to underscore his experience of betrayal. “I know that it was a love story and more focus is given to the hero and heroine of the film, but to make my character look greyer, I think there should have been a few more scenes," he said.
He noted that, given the ultimate betrayal by his character’s fiancé, it would have been beneficial to include a scene that showed the full extent of his character’s suffering. He mentioned that there was only one scene where he interacted with Shah Rukh Khan's character, suggesting that another scene would have better justified his role.
In the 2004 hit Veer-Zaara, Veer Pratap Singh falls for Zaara, a woman from Pakistan, despite their differing religions. After travelling to Pakistan to be with her, Veer is deceived by the Pakistani authorities and imprisoned for 22 years. Throughout his imprisonment, he remains committed to Zaara, who waits for him. When they finally reunite after 22 years, their love is as strong as ever. The film, which also starred Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan in significant roles, was a major success at the box office and became one of the top-grossing films of 2004 in India.
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