Manoj Bajpayee Meets HT City Stars in the City Contest Winners, Reflects on His Journey

New Delhi witnessed a special moment as acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee visited the HT office to meet the winners of the HT City Stars in the City contest. The event, marked by an air of excitement, was accompanied by the iconic tune of "Jiya Ho Bihar Ke Lala" playing in the background.

Bajpayee, known for his powerful performances, is set to portray a crime journalist in his upcoming film Despatch. The actor shared insights about his character, saying, “This character is only grey, it’s not a journalist who is a hero. I find heroes in ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We are all heroes of our own story.”

The conversation touched upon Bajpayee’s remarkable milestone of completing 30 years in the film industry in 2024. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “I have started feeling it now, since a couple of years. My life and career hasn’t been easy. It has been a difficult journey where you get films, and then there is a lull. The Mumbai film industry is mainly dominated by mainstream filmmakers. It never had a respectful place for an actor like me. I had to wait for films, stories or directors. What do you do in those circumstances? I chased good directors, films. Because of that effort, directors like Kanu Behl, Devashish Makhija happen to you.”

In a candid conversation with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor of HT City, Bajpayee expressed gratitude for his collaborators. When asked about reuniting with Ram Gopal Varma, with whom he worked on classics like Satya (1998), Bajpayee revealed, “There is something, I am sorting my dates. With Ramu, it’s never about filmmaker and actor. There is too much of indebtedness within me. Here was a guy who saw me, immediately believed in my calibre, kept backing me, and even now he takes great pride in Manoj Bajpayee.”

Bajpayee also confirmed his association with filmmaker Shekhar Kapur for the sequel to Masoom (1983), titled Masoom 2. Speaking about the project, he said, “He called me and said ‘do you want to make a guest appearance?’ I said ‘yes.’ If he even asked me to stand in a corner, I will do it. There is a lot of gratefulness in me.”

The visit underscored Bajpayee’s humility and the deep connections he shares with his directors, leaving the audience inspired by his journey and grounded approach to success.