Before becoming a big name in Bollywood, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Raaz it all started in the theater. Manoj recently shared a funny story from those early days. He recalled how Nawazuddin and Vijay had once teamed up for a theater production, only to find out that there were no real roles left for them. As a result, the two future stars stood like trees on stage for hours.
Manoj Bajpayee on how Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Raaz ended up playing in the trees
In an interview with Fever FM, Manoj painted a vivid picture of how it all unfolded. He recalled the day Nawazuddin and Vijay went to meet the director of the then massive theater production. “It was a very big play. I still remember the first day. Both came to meet the director, who asked them where they were from and why they wanted to act. There were no roles available, so he said, ‘Let’s do something. Let’s make trees, because we need trees.'” Manoj added that Nawazuddin and Vijay were not alone in this, they were part of a group of seven or eight actors, all of whom were cast as trees in the play.
Manoj Bajpayee’s lively tries saw Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Raaz come up with second-order.
He also recalled that his non-stop rehearsals made Nawazuddin and Vijay question their decision to become actors. Seeing him work so hard apparently made them wonder if acting was really worth it. She laughingly shared, “I used to rehearse like crazy. Rehearsals lasted all day. Later, Nawaz told me that he and Vijay would see me working so hard. They would go out and argue whether the actor really wanted the job or not. They wanted to become stars, but after seeing him rehearsing, they started thinking of backing out because, ‘ye aadmi to itni gadha majduri kar raha hai (this man is working very hard).'” Besides, Nawazuddin and Vijay had to stand as trees on stage for almost two and a half hours.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Raaz became ‘panauti’ for the theater director
Manoj also shared another fun fact about the play’s director. Turns out, Nawazuddin and Vijay accidentally caused him quite a bit of trouble. He recalls with a laugh: “Both became panauti (bad luck) for the director. He got so excited while giving directions that once he bumped into them and fell. The break was so bad that screws had to be put in. For the rest of the play, he directed with one hand. Everyone was teasing him, saying that these two guys were panauti for him.’
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Manoj Bajpayee on his friendship with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Raaz
He also reflected on how those early days in theater were the foundation of his lasting friendships with Nawazuddin and Vijay. The three were not just colleagues on stage, but companions who shared everything from travel to meals. He sweetly said, “Nawaz and Vijay Raaz have been my friends since then. We used to travel together and stay in the same halls. Wherever we were accommodated, we would all be accommodated together. We ate in the mess or sometimes in a hotel.’
