Manoj Bajpayee reveals he was close to committing suicide. Know why
Counted amongst one of the most versatile actors of the industry, Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee has come a long way. The actor whose film Bhonsle saw a release recently opened up about his journey from a small village of Bihar to Bollywood industry. He spoke about his struggles and how after getting rejected at NSD, suicidal thoughts took over his mind. In a detailed post for Humans Of Bombay, it was revealed how the recipient of two National Awards and a Padma Shri once lost three roles in a single day. The actor began by calling himself 'a farmer’s son' and sharing how he grew up in a village in Bihar with 5 siblings. The post read, "We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, we’d go to the theatre. I was a Bachchan fan & wanted to be like him. At 9, I knew acting was my destiny. But I couldn’t afford to dream & continued my studies. Still, my mind refused to focus on anything else, so at 17, I left for DU. There, I did theatre but my family had no idea. Finally, I wrote a letter to dad–he wasn’t angry & even sent me Rs.200 to cover my fees! People back home called me ‘good for nothing’ but I turned a blind eye."
Further, talking about how he once wanted to commit suicide, Manoj said, "I was an outsider, trying to fit in. So, I taught myself English & Hindi–Bhojpuri was a big part of how I spoke. I then applied to NSD, but was rejected thrice. I was close to committing suicide, so my friends would sleep next to me & not leave me alone. They kept me going until I was accepted. That year, I was at a chai shop when Tigmanshu came looking for me on his khatara scooter–Shekhar Kapur wanted to cast me in Bandit Queen! So I felt I was ready & moved to Mumbai."
He spoke about how he lost roles and said, "Initially, it was tough–I rented a chawl with 5 friends & looked for work, but got no roles. Once, an AD tore my photo & I’ve lost 3 projects in a day. I was even told to ‘get out’ after my 1st shot."
Have a look at his story here:
On the work front, Manoj has had two releases this year -- Netflix film Mrs Serial Killer and Bhosle.
He is well known for his roles in films like Shool, Pinjar, Aks, Road and then Rajneeti, Aarakshan, Gangs Of Wasseypur - Part 1, Special 26, Satyagraha and Aligarh.
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