Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who stars in the recently released film Bhonsle, shared the story of his struggle from being rejected at auditions to being one of Bollywood's finest actors in a post for Humans Of Bombay. A self proclaimed fan of Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee began his story by describing himself as a "farmer's son" and saying he made the journey from his village in Bihar to Delhi at the age of 17, where he kept busy with theatre: "I'm a farmer's son; I grew up in a village in Bihar with 5 siblings - we went to a hut school. We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, we'd go to the theatre. I was a Bachchan fan and wanted to be like him. At 9, I knew acting was my destiny. But I couldn't afford to dream and continued my studies. Still, my mind refused to focus on anything else, so at 17, I left for DU. There, I did theatre but my family had no idea. Finally, I wrote a letter to dad - he wasn't angry and even sent me Rs 200 to cover my fees! People back home called me 'good for nothing' but I turned a blind eye."
Manoj Bajpayee revealed after repeatedly being rejected admission at the National School Of Drama, he experienced suicidal thoughts but had his friends as strong pillars of support till he got in: "I was an outsider, trying to fit in. So, I taught myself English and Hindi - Bhojpuri was a big part of how I spoke. I then applied to NSD, but was rejected thrice. I was close to committing suicide, so my friends would sleep next to me and not leave me alone. They kept me going until I was accepted."
Manoj Bajpayee, who starred in Shekhar Kapur's critically acclaimed 1994 film Bandit Queen, added what changed that year: "That year, I was at a chai shop when Tigmanshu came looking for me on his khatara scooter - Shekhar Kapur wanted to cast me in Bandit Queen! So I felt I was ready and moved to Mumbai. Initially, it was tough - I rented a chawl with 5 friends and looked for work, but got no roles. Once, an AD tore my photo and I've lost 3 projects in a day. I was even told to 'get out' after my 1st shot. I didn't fit the ideal 'hero' face - so they thought I'd never make it to the big screen. All the while, I struggled to make rent and at times even a vada pav was costly."
In 1995, Manoj Bajpayee played a significant role in Mahesh Bhatt-directed TV show Swabhimaan, which was the stepping stone for his breakthrough movie Satya (1998). "But the hunger in my stomach couldn't dissuade my hunger to succeed. After 4 years of struggle, I got a role in Mahesh Bhatt's TV series. I got Rs 1500 per episode - my first steady income. My work was noticed and I was offered my first Bollywood film and soon, I got my big break with Satya," said the 51-year-old actor. Manoj Bajpayee won the Best Supporting Actor National Award for his performance in Satya.
"That's when the awards rolled in. I bought my first house and knew... I was here to stay. 67 films later, here I am. That's the thing about dreams - when it comes to turning them into reality, the hardships don't matter. What matters is the belief of that 9-year-old Bihari boy and nothing else," Manoj Bajpayee signed off with these words.
Manoj Bajpayee is best known for films such as Shool, Pinjar, Aks, Road and then Rajneeti, Aarakshan, Gangs Of Wasseypur - Part 1, Special 26, Satyagraha and Aligarh in the later part of his career. In 2019, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to art and cinema. Manoj Bajpayee's list of awards also include a Special Jury National Award for his 2003 film Pinjar.
