Manoj Bajpayee Opens Up About Prioritizing Finances Over Artistic Fulfillment During His Career

In a candid revelation, Manoj Bajpayee, a prominent figure in Bollywood known for his remarkable performances, has disclosed his past choices of prioritizing financial gain over creative satisfaction. The actor, who gained fame with his iconic role as Bhiku Mhatre in “Satya” over two decades ago and achieved household recognition through “The Family Man” on Amazon Prime Video, recently reflected on his career journey.

Throughout his illustrious career, Manoj Bajpayee has earned acclaim as one of the most talented actors of his generation. Yet, he acknowledged that he occasionally accepted roles primarily for financial reasons to navigate the challenges of surviving in the bustling city of Mumbai.

During a recent interview with Film Companion, the National Award-winning actor admitted to signing films purely for monetary considerations when asked about the matter. He emphasized that actors shouldn’t regret such decisions if it helps them sustain themselves, stating, “Yes [I have], in my downtime.” Bajpayee continued, “I always say that actors shouldn’t be… they shouldn’t regret if they do something for money, to run the kitchen.”

Manoj Bajpayee went on to explain that while these choices might seem like stepping backward, they should be seen as a necessary phase to leap forward into a brighter future. “They should do a film where they think that they are taking a few steps back just to take a leap. It was not something that was indulgent from my side. I needed money to survive in this city, which is fine. I never regretted it. I still own those films very proudly,” he asserted.

In a previous conversation on Janice Sequeira’s YouTube channel, Bajpayee shared an anecdote where his wife, Shabana Raza, encouraged him to refrain from making films solely for financial gain. She expressed feeling disheartened and demeaned after watching one of his less fulfilling movies. Bajpayee recalled her words: “It was a bad film, bad film. After the film, she called me, and I asked how she liked the film, and she [Shabana] said, ‘Stop doing films for money. We are not so desperate that you did it for money. It was embarrassing, I felt insulted, humiliated in the theatre. Don’t ever do it, please! You are good at stories and characters, please choose them, not these films. You don’t need to prove anything else.'”