Manoj Bajpayee says he was always cast as sidekick, people told him ‘you neither look like a hero nor a villain’

Manoj Bajpayee has been receiving critical acclaim for his performance in the film Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai. In a new interview the National Award-winning actor opened up about the time he was an aspiring actor when he had to face rejection because of his looks. Even when he had experience in theatre and had done a film like Bandit Queen, he would still not be taken seriously. (Also read: Manoj Bajpayee reacts to reports about his net worth being ₹170 crore: ‘Main south Mumbai ka nahi hoon’)

Manoj’s acclaimed roles

Manoj has been acting in films for nearly three decades. The actor has carved a name for himself in Bollywood by starring in films like such as Satya (1998), Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Aligarh (2015) among many others. He has also won National Film Awards for his films Satya, Pinjar (2003) and Bhonsle (2018). The actor spoke candidly about his early days in Mumbai, when he had recalled how he did plays for 10 years and did not even have enough money for food.

Early days of struggle

In a new interview with Indian Express, Manoj shared how he was treated by the casting assistants during auditions. “Chehre pe hi bol dete the. Waise accha hua bol dete the, mauka nahi diya sochu ke kabhi bada hero banunga (Good that they said it on my face. That helped me to not keep big hopes of becoming a big star). People would comment that you neither look like a hero nor a villain. So they would always put me as a sidekick to the villain, not even the hero’s friend,” he shared.

The actor also revealed that he does not have a publicist, and for several years, he has been marketing his own films. He added, “I never had a publicist… See, for several years I have marketed my films myself. Be it Bhonsle, Gali Guleiyan or even Aligarh, I did the PR. I know how to do it and what needs to go in the market. These young people are always changing their plans. I didn’t even have a team or assistant for many years as independent films cannot bear such costs.”

Manoj Bajpayee was last seen in Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, which was released on May 23. Prior to that, he had Gulmohar with veteran actor Sharmila Tagore. The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar on March. The actor is also set to begin work on the third season of his Prime Video series The Family Man.