Manoj Bajpayee, a popular Indian actor, who has been
promoting his latest release Gulmohar, a Disney Plus Hotstar feature has in a interview
indeed spoken about his struggles when he first moved to Mumbai in search of
work. The acclaimed actor, who has
starred in films such as Satya, Kaun, Shool, Gangs of Wasseypur, Rajneeti,
among others, said there was a time when he was barely able to make ends meet.
he mentioned that he had no connections in the film industry and no money or
resources to sustain himself. He also spoke about sleeping on the platforms of
railway stations and going without food for days at a time.
Manoj Bajpayee said that he was at his lowest when he moved
from New Delhi to Mumbai to make a name for himself as an actor. “It was a very
bad phase of my life when I came from Delhi to Mumbai, I used to work 18 hours
a day in Delhi without money, in theatre, but there was a creative
satisfaction. Pata nahi hota tha ki khaana
kaha se aayega (I did not know from where I would get my next
meal from). I had no money, but God was kind. I was busy despite the
starvation. But when I came here (to Mumbai), I had no work, no food, no money.
I began to doubt my talent and myself, this was in the ’90s,” Manoj said in a
smattering of Hindi and English.
Despite these challenges, Bajpayee persevered and
continued to pursue his passion for acting. Adding that he was turned away from
everywhere, the actor said, “I was very weak physically, and wherever I used to
go, be it a set or a producer’s office, I was shown the door almost
immediately, there were no casting directors back then.”
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But after his performance in Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen, he was given a chance by director Ram Gopal Varma in the film Daud, and then in the critically acclaimed film "Satya" in 1998, which established him as a talented actor in the industry. But even after Satya, the actor revealed he saw bad days, and that went on for seven long years. “ when I would go to a gathering, cameramen, reporters and anchors, they would turn their mic and cameras away from me. I wouldn’t feel bad, because I knew I needed only one role to get back in the saddle, before director Prakash Jha came knocking on his door with the political drama Rajneeti, which proved to be a hit.
He has since gone on to win numerous awards and accolades for his performances in films and web series. Bajpayee's story is an inspiring example of the power of determination and hard work in achieving one's goals, even in the face of adversity.
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