Manoj Bajpayee he has reported on his memorable experience working with the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra Starring Veer-Zaara Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Ribbon and Rani Mukerji. Speaking on Shekhar Suman’s chat show Shekhar Tonite, the National Award-winning actor recalled that Chopra’s honesty and generosity left a lasting impression on him.Bajpayee, who made a cameo appearance in the 2004 romantic drama, revealed that he accepted the film without even hearing the entire script as he was eager to work with the acclaimed director.
“I wanted to be directed by Yash Chopra”
During the interview, Manoj shared that he was personally contacted by Yash Chopra after watching his performance in Pinjar.“Yash ji called me and said that after watching Pinjar, he felt that only I could play that character,” recalls Manoj.The actor admitted that he didn’t even want to listen to the script before saying yes.“I said, ‘Tell me when it’s coming, tell me about the character and I’ll prepare.’ I wanted to be directed by Yash Chopra,” he said.However, Chopra insisted that Manoj listen to the narration afterwards Aditya Chopra he walked through the scenes.
“I don’t make movies for actors like you”
Manoj revealed that after hearing the narration, he jokingly asked Yash Chopra to remember him for a bigger role in the future.The filmmaker’s response, according to Manoj, was refreshingly honest.“He told me, ‘Beta, main tere jaise actors ke liye kahan film banata hoon’ (Son, I don’t do films for actors like you),” recalls Manoj with a smile.Chopra further explained that the roles he was usually offered were roles that Bajpayee would probably not have chosen.“He didn’t make any false promises. That’s what I loved about him,” Manoj said.
Yash Chopra paid him like a leading actor
The Family Man star also revealed that he initially offered to do the role for no fee.“I told him I won’t take any money. But he refused,” Manoj said.According to the actor, Yash Chopra insisted on paying and eventually sent a check equal to what Bajpayee was earning as a leading actor.“He said, ‘I’ll pay you.’ And believe me, he paid me the same amount I would have for a lead role. Working with Mr. Yash Chopra was fantastic,” added Manoj.
Manoj Bajpayee on choosing meaningful roles over money
Elsewhere in the interview, Manoj reflected on the choices he made after Satya’s success. Although Bhiku Mhatre’s popularity got him several lucrative offers, he revealed that most of them were villain roles.“I didn’t want to play villains. I wanted to do story-driven films and meaningful characters,” he said, adding that waiting for projects like Shool, Zubeidaa and Pinjar finally shaped his desired career path.
