Manoj Bajpayee he has revealed that Yash Chopra he was paid the same fee as a leading actor for his brief appearance in ‘Veer-Zaara’. The actor recalled the incident in an interview with Shekhar Suman on ‘Shekhar Tonite’. He said he agreed to do the cameo because he wanted to work with Chopra, not for the money. The filmmaker, however, insisted on paying.
Manoj Bajpayee recalls Yash Chopra’s ‘Veer-Zaara’ offer
According to Hindustan Times, Manoj looked back on the post-‘Satya’ phase when many big offers came his way. He said he turned down several well-paid films because he didn’t want to continue playing villainous roles. He preferred stories and characters that fit his creative goals, even if those options meant lower wages.Manoj talked about Yash Chopra’s ‘Veer-Zaara’ call. He said Chopra offered him a cameo after seeing his performance in ‘Pinjar’. The actor recalled that he didn’t even want to listen to the entire script, because the filmmaker wanted to direct it.She told Chopra to describe the story and the character in one line, but Aditya Chopra narrated the whole scene to her. Manoj starred as Raza Sharazi in ‘Veer-Zaara’ Shah Rukh KhanStarring Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji.
Yash Chopra paid full fee to Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj said he asked Chopra to remember him next time for a bigger role. The filmmaker gave him a straight answer, saying that he usually doesn’t make movies for actors like him. Manoj said he liked Chopra’s honesty because the filmmaker did not make any false promises.He also said that the actor offered to do the role for free. “I won’t take a fee,” he recalled telling Chopra. But the director refused and later sent him the same amount that he charges for a leading role.‘Veer-Zaara’ was released in 2004 and became a huge hit. The film also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Divya Dutta, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher in lead roles. It later won the National Award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment.
