Manoj Bajpayee is one of the finest actors in the Hindi film industry, and time and again, he has proved his versatility with his various characters on silver screen. He has worked in a number of films and web series, including Veer Zara, Pinjar, The Family Man, Satya, and Gangs Of Wasseypur, among others. From pulling up challenging roles with finesse to gradually establishing himself as a bankable actor of his generation, Manoj's journey is indeed inspirational. However, the actor has also turned down a few offers in his acting career, and now he has opened up about one of them.
In an interview with Sushant Sinha on YouTube, Manoj Bajpayee was asked if he ever rejected any offer and later regretted the same. To this, the talented actor mentioned that he has no such regrets about turning down multiple offers other than the one role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s 2002 period drama, Devdas, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai in the major roles. For the unversed, Devdas received a BAFTA nomination in the Best Film Not in the English Language category and was also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2002. It became a cult classic of all time, and undoubtedly, people still admire the overall performance of the actors in the film.
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Talking about the same, Manoj mentioned that he was offered the role of 'Chunilal' in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, which was later given to Jackie Shroff. However, Manoj turned down the offer since he had always wanted to play the titular role of Devdas, which was then done by Shah Rukh Khan. Elaborating the same, Manoj then mentioned that although he regrets his decision but he never felt bad. In his words:
“Yes, I was offered Jackie Shroff’s role in Devdas, but I immediately said no. I told Sanjay, ‘Sanjay, yaar, meri toh hamesha se ichchha thi Devdas karne ki. That film became a superhit, but I have regrets about letting it go. I’d wanted to play Devdas since my theatre days, ever since I’d watched Dilip Kumar’s film, or read the book. But I never felt bad.”
Earlier, in an interaction on the YouTube channel, RealHit, Manoj Bajpayee revealed that while many may think that the actor is a spendthrift due to his immense success in films, the reality is completely different. He mentioned how he has always set his own limits in terms of money, and always prioritised the basic necessities in life above everything else. He added that while he cannot be wealthy enough like the Ambanis, he made sure to control his greed. He said:
“You need to have enough money for medical expenses and for your children’s education. You need to be able to life a comfortable, dignified life, where you don’t have to borrow money from anybody. That’s it. Otherwise, there’s no limit. The limit is Ambani. There are lots of rich people in the world, and I cannot become like them through acting. You have to set your own limits, and rein in your greed. So long as you see money as a by-product of your job, you will remain at peace. If you are desperate for money, your journey isn’t going to last very long. If you prioritise your work, money will follow. I believe in this very strongly. You shouldn’t compromise on what is basically a by-product. But at the end of the day, we prefer our upper middle-class life, because that’s where the peace lies. You have to choose between greed and peace, and we choose peace.”
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In another old interview with Mashable Middle East, Manoj revealed his first film's salary. It mentioned that he received a salary of Rs. 50,000 for his first film, Bandit Queen. For the unversed, Bandit Queen was a 1994 film based on the life of gangster, Phoolan Devi. In the same conversation, Manoj added that he signed another film six years later, for which he got triple the remuneration compared to his first film, revealing that he got Rs. 1,50,000. However, he did not reveal the name of the film.
What do you think about Manoj's decision to turn down the offer to play a role in Devdas? Let us know!
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