Manjoy Bajpayee reveals the untold ugly TRUTH of Bollywood: “I have seen people laughing with you, and then laughing at you the moment you turn around” – Exclusive |
From being ‘Bhiku Matre’ to becoming ‘The Family Man,’ actor Manoj Bajpayee has given decades to the industry and several characters to the audience. His every shade, every genre, has received extreme love and attention. Recently, the actor turned a year older and wiser, and looking back at his journey, he recalled all his milestones and the highs and lows. He also revealed the unsaid, untold truth of the industry when he exclusively spoke to us.
Manjoy Bajpayee reflects on his cinematic journey
When asked about which movie he considers as his milestone, without thinking twice, he replied, “It will always be my first film, ‘Bandit Queen,’ in my cinematic journey.”
Having said that, he added, “But mostly, you know, we all give importance to ‘Satya’ because it really catapulted me to a place from where I could build a career. I’m thankful every day for ‘Satya,’ for Ramu, and for everyone involved who supported me in that journey. Ramu did three films with me—four actually, including a Telugu film—one after another. One of them as a producer. That phase really established me as an actor in this industry.”
Further, sharing about his journey so far, Manoj Bajpayee shared, “I have gone through my share of highs and lows. It wasn’t an easy journey at all. It’s a very vicious, competitive industry. People get jealous, they don’t wish well for each other. I have seen people laughing with you, and then laughing at you the moment you turn around. I knew I had to develop thick skin to survive this.”
The difficult times
He highlighted how initially it was tough for him to make a mark but he didn’t give up. “My early days were full of anger and angst, especially when things weren’t working out. I wanted a certain kind of films in my kitty, but those weren’t happening. Very few directors believed in me—sometimes none at all. As a newcomer, trying to build your own filmography, putting all your weight behind it, it was a long and difficult effort, spanning over fifteen years. We took films to distributors, buyers, and festivals, just trying to gain respect and mileage. Many of my producers and directors were new, and we all struggled together.”
Manoj Bajpayee’s never-give-up attitude
He continued, “It has been a tremendously difficult journey. But one thing I kept telling myself was, “Manoj Bajpayee, there is nothing else you can do.” I didn’t have a plan B. This is my world—this is where I’ll live and die. Jeena yahan, marna yahan. I had to give it my all, every single day. There were directors who didn’t want to work with me, so I had to find new ones—those who were looking for support, those who could write a powerful script for me. It was tedious. At times, it could’ve broken me completely.”
“Like I said, I’m thick-skinned. A stubborn bugger. I don’t break easily, even when everything is going wrong from all sides,” concluded the actor.
