STAR POWER
When you surrender to astrology, arrogance and ego are removed from your personality, says actor Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj feels astrology is as significant as ayurveda. “When you come to understand it and surrender to it, you are actually surrendering to your karma,” he says.
Most Bollywood actors believe in astrology. Luck and the alignment of stars is crucial, the actors feel, to get a strong foothold in the Bollywood firmament. The B’town celebs consider astrology a way of attracting luck and success. Actors also commonly believe that numbers and alphabets play a vital role in their screen longevity.
Ekta Kapoor, head honcho of Alt Balaji and Telefilms Balaji, is one of those with a strong belief in astrology and numerology. And Manoj Bajpayee, the number one hero of the OTT platform, is the latest to openly affirm his faith in astrology.
Manoj is best known for the long-running OTT show Family Man, and now his latest project Dial 100 is also garnering good viewership. In a recent interaction with the media, he said he had been all set to make his Hollywood debut after he won the National Award for Pinjar in the early 2000’s, but it did not happen. He said he had been told by an astrologer that it would not materialise. He speaks to us about his belief in the stars
“I believe completely in the science of astrology,” says Manoj. “My father was always into it. I have seen many astrologers — some fantastic, some not so good. We should dig deep into this science. I am of the opinion that it should be given a lot of attention and space to grow and evolve. If you do this, and treat it with respect, many discoveries will be made by the young students of the science.”
Manoj feels astrology is as significant as ayurveda. “When you come to understand it and surrender to it, you are actually surrendering to your karma. So, that completely takes away your arrogance and the ego from your personality,” he says
He says he’s very curious about the science, and keen to understand more about it. “I keep reading up about it,” he reveals.
Asked to comment on the effect that following astrology has had on his success on the OTT platform, Manoj says, “Many people may have told you they don’t believe in the ‘number one’ position. “But after 26-27 years of a rollercoaster ride — some success and some failure, some appreciation and some criticism — people are appreciating my work, my fan base is increasing because of OTT. I can only be thankful.”