‘I KNEW I HAD TO BE PATIENT IF I WANTED TO BECOME AN ACTOR’
Manoj Bajpayee can be labelled as one of the better actors that Bollywood can boast of. However, despite delivering solid performances in movies such as Satya (1998) and Shool (1999), the actor had to struggle to get the kind of offers that he was expecting. Speaking about the same Manoj says it would be wrong to hope that the film industry will easily understand the credibility of an artiste.
“In an industry, which is box-office oriented, to expect that you will get your due very fast is actually like living in some illusion. Any film collecting ₹100 crore and above is being considered a great film, which is so not true,” says Manoj.
However, looking at the brighter side, he adds, “I knew what I was getting into when I decided to become an actor. I knew I had to be patient. I wanted to do things differently but who said the world is fair.”
Having spent so long in the industry, the actor says that it’s only now that he realises that he can deliver excellent performances.
“It is only because of the practice of these many years that I can prepare myself fast for the role that I take up. With new directors coming on the scene, it’s a great time for an actor like me. They have so much to offer, so many unique scripts. These are the things which I want to do, the resolve was very old, and it’s just that it is showing now and is visible to people,” says Manoj.