JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Meet actor who faked UPSC prep, battled suicidal thoughts, had Salman Khan give up an award for him and is now OTT king
Meet the actor who once faked UPSC prep, struggled with suicidal thoughts, started with TV soaps, and had Salman Khan forfeit an award for him is now a top OTT star. Can you guess?
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to suicide.
Meet the actor who comes from a farmer’s family. His father wanted him to become a doctor, but he pursued a different path and even faked preparing for the UPSC exams. At one point, he battled suicidal thoughts. He began his career with soap operas, and Salman Khan once gave up an award for him. Today, he is among the highest-paid actors on OTT and will next be seen in The Family Man 3. If you haven’t guessed yet, it’s none other than Manoj Bajpayee.
Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee’s journey from a farmer’s son in Bihar to one of India’s most celebrated actors is a testament to resilience, deception, and unwavering passion. Born in a small village, he grew up in a family where education was a struggle due to financial constraints. His father dreamed of seeing him become a doctor, but Manoj had some other plans.
While speaking on Aap Ki Adalat, Manoj admitted that to escape an unwanted career in medicine, he intentionally marked incorrect answers in his medical entrance exam. He said, "So, for the questions to which I knew the answers, I would hide my face and mark anything. I did that so that I do not give the right answers, else I will have to become a doctor aur actor banne se reh jaunga.”
But that was just the beginning of his elaborate scheme. Desperate to reach Delhi, he faked about preparing for the UPSC exam. The actor told Aajtak, "I made up my mind that I will not tell my parents and instead, tell them that I will do Arts from Delhi University and prepare for UPSC and try to become an SP collector. I made them dream of this and they, being so innocent, agreed. I fooled them and came to Delhi."
However, his dreams were met with repeated rejection. The Gangs of Wasseypur actor was rejected thrice by NSD. The devastation was so severe that he had suicidal thoughts, a dark phase he revealed to Humans of Bombay. He shared, “I was close to committing suicide, so my friends would sleep next to me and not leave me alone.”
With no formal training, Manoj turned to theatre, eventually catching the attention of acting coach Barry John, who not only mentored him but also hired him as an assistant. After yet another failed NSD attempt, the institution offered him a teaching position instead.
His initial years in Mumbai were equally harsh. The Family Man actor lived in a chawl and took up minor roles in films like Bandit Queen and Drohkaal. Then came a turning point Mahesh Bhatt gave him a break in television, offering him a role in the soap opera Swabhimaan. It wasn’t much, but it kept him afloat.
The real breakthrough arrived with Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998). His portrayal of the hot-headed gangster Bhiku Mhatre was so compelling that even Salman Khan, upon winning Best Supporting Actor at an awards show, declared that Bajpayee was the true deserving winner.
In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Manoj shared, "Jab naam announce hua tha toh jitne log the waha pe sab naraaz hogaye the. Log khade ho kar chilla re the 'Bhiku Mhatre'.” (When the name was announced, all the people there were angry, and people were standing up and shouting 'Bhiku Mhatre' (Manoj's character in Satya).
He added, “It was very gracious of Salman Khan ki wo stage pe gaye aur unhone bola ki 'pata nai mujhe kyun diya, yeh deserve toh Manoj karta hai.” (It was very gracious of Salman Khan to go on stage and say that I don't know why it was given to me, Manoj deserves it).
From Shool, Pinjar, and Raajneeti to his iconic role in Gangs of Wasseypur, he built a reputation for playing intense, layered characters. Films like Aligarh and Special 26 further cemented his status as a powerhouse performer.
His turn as Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man (2019) made him a digital-age icon. Since then, hits like Gulmohar, Killer Soup, and Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai have made him one of the highest-paid actors on streaming platforms.
From faking a UPSC dream to rewriting the rules of Indian acting, Manoj Bajpayee’s life is nothing short of a gripping screenplay.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts, anxiety, going through depression, or is suffering from a serious mental illness, reach out to a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help. There are several helplines available for the same.
Manoj Bajpayee reveals he used to ‘starve all day’ and was chased away by production people in his early career days: ‘It was hell’
Latest Articles
