Jan 09, 2025 11:12 AM IST
Manoj Bajpayee said he struggled to deal with stardom after Satya and recalled how conversation with Akshaye Khanna changed his perception.
Ram Gopal Varma’s gangster drama Satya is all set to re-release in theatres. The film, which transformed Manoj Bajpayee’s career, is a cult classic. In a recent interview with Mid-Day, Manoj Bajpayee spoke about his struggles with handling stardom after Satya and how Akshaye Khanna ‘knocked some knowledge’ into him.
(Also Read: Ram Gopal Varma’s cult 1998 gangster film Satya to re-release in cinemas on this date)
Manoj Bajpayee wasn’t comfortable with sudden attention after Satya
Although Satya’s commercial and critical success brought him nationwide fame and earned him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, Manoj Bajpayee admitted he struggled to adjust to the sudden attention and success and felt like an impostor in those situations. He shared, “I wasn’t comfortable with all the attention and privileges. Whenever I went to five-star hotels or sat in my car, it felt like I was sitting in someone else’s car.”
How Akshaye Khanna changed his perception
He recalled a conversation with Akshaye Khanna that changed his perception: “It was Akshaye who said, ‘Manoj, why are you feeling so guilty about your success? Own it.’ That conversation really knocked some sense into me. You have not seen all of this for such a long time that you’re not used to it. People ask me, ‘Are you comfortable with the attention that you are getting?’ No, how can I be? I am very nice and polite to them, but to expect me to be comfortable? No. For 25 years, I hadn’t gotten that attention. By the time I became a star, all others had been stars for 30 years or so. They wouldn’t know anything else.”
Manoj Bajpayee’s career
Born in a small village in Bihar, Manoj Bajpayee aspired to become an actor since childhood. He had to wait for years and take on several minor roles before landing his breakthrough with Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya. Over the years, he has been part of numerous successful films like Satyameva Jayate, Baaghi 2, Special 26, Gangs of Wasseypur, and more. He has also established himself in the OTT space with acclaimed series like The Family Man and Killer Soup.
Manoj Bajpayee will entertain audiences once again as Srikant Tiwari in the new season of The Family Man. Jaideep Ahlawat will join Priyamani, Ashlesha Thakur, and Sharib Hashmi in Season 3. The series will be available on Amazon Prime Video during Diwali 2025.
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