In a recent interview with the Bombay Times, the actor talked about being stereotyped in the films and getting roles ‘set in middle-class and lower middle-class stories’ and not a rich person.
Manoj Bajpayee has proved himself to be a talented actor who is also bankable and capable of giving a hit on his own. With the rise of OTT and the success of The Family Man, the 55-year-old actor has become a household name and is loved by the masses. Even though he is regarded by both critics and fans as one of the nation's most varied actors, Manoj confesses that he is also a victim of stereotyping in Bollywood.
In a recent interview with the Bombay Times, the actor talked about being stereotyped in the films and getting roles ‘set in middle-class and lower middle-class stories’ and not a rich person. The National Award-winner said, “The only film before Gulmohar (2023) where I played a rich guy was Zubeidaa (2001). That was Shyam Benegal’s conviction. He was the one who felt that real maharajas were not Greek gods. They looked normal. In Veer-Zaara (2004), I played a politician from Pakistan. I had two scenes in it, but Yashji (Chopra) was adamant that I do it. He cast me after watching Pinjar (2003).”
Manoj added, “These filmmakers had that vision which stems from seeing life up close. Bakiyonko mujhe rich dikhaane mein dikkat hoti hai (The others have trouble depicting me as rich). The roles that I portrayed were mostly set in middle-class and lower-middle-class stories. I am never considered for high society roles. No director could think of me as a rich guy, barring the two stalwarts that I mentioned. This stereotyping exists.”
With three films this year, The Fable, Silence 2, and Bhaiya Ji, as well as the Netflix series Killer Soup, Manoj Bajpayee has had a busy year so far. The actor is now filming The Family Man, his hit Prime Video series, for its upcoming season.
Earlier, Manoj Bajpayee opened up about not being beautiful enough to be cast in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. He said, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali, par jyadatar filmein woh jo banate hain, mere jaise actors ki zarurat hoti nahi hai vahan. Mujhe kya khubsurat dekha lega woh? Sanjay ke pass kuch hoga nahi dikhane ke liye. But he’s a filmmaker of his own kind. He’s unique.”