Did Manoj Bajpayee troll Rashmika Mandanna's 'national crush' title?
What's the story
Actor Manoj Bajpayee recently spoke out against the PR machinery surrounding modern Indian actors. Recently, Bajpayee appeared on the Humans of Cinema YouTube channel alongside Anurag Kashyap and Piyush Mishra to promote his movie Jugnuma. There, he said that titles like "Best Actor" and "National Crush" are often awarded through PR stunts. Some netizens speculated that his comments were directed at Rashmika Mandanna, who is popularly known as the "National Crush."
Actor's perspective
This is what he said
Bajpayee said, "Acting ko leke jitni fallacy ab badhi hai na, voh irritating bhi hai, annoying bhi, and also humiliating hai." He added that it is humiliating for actors like him and Mishra, who have been giving everything to their craft. "Suddenly ek #BestActor aa jaata hai, phir chaar mahine baad another #BestActor aata hai, #NationalCrush." "You know the whole culture has changed." Notably, Bajpayee didn't name any actor specifically.
Reactions
How did netizens react?
The netizens had mixed reactions to Bajpayee's comments. One asked, "Is this about Rashmika Mandanna?" While another said, "National crush shit is so Sham. It's being used for anyone and everyone." Another person defended Mandanna, writing, "I agree with Manoj's stance... but he didn't have to use a real-life example... he was having a go at Rashmika, who's a talented actor herself and wasn't responsible for that tag in the first place."
Career update
On the work front for Bajpayee
Meanwhile, Bajpayee can currently be seen in Jugnuma: The Fable. Set in the late 1980s, the film follows Dev (Bajpayee), who uncovers mysteriously burnt trees in his Himalayan fruit orchards. He is also set to return in the highly anticipated third installment of The Family Man, which will depict how Srikant (Bajpayee's character) tackles a major security threat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.