'Veer-Zaara': Manoj Bajpayee recalls working with Yash Chopra
What's the story
Manoj Bajpayee, the acclaimed Bollywood actor, recently opened up about his experience working with legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra in Veer-Zaara. Speaking on Shekhar Suman's chat show Shekhar Tonite, Bajpayee revealed how Chopra's honesty and generosity left a lasting impression on him. The actor also disclosed that he was paid as a lead actor for his cameo in the film.
Role offer
Bajpayee accepted 'Veer-Zaara' without reading full script
Bajpayee, who made a special appearance in the 2004 romantic drama, revealed that he accepted the film without even listening to the full script because he was eager to work with Chopra. He recalled how Chopra personally reached out to him after watching his performance in Pinjar. "Yash ji called me and said that after watching Pinjar, he felt that only I could play that character," Bajpayee shared.
Director's honesty
The memorable conversation between Chopra and Bajpayee
Bajpayee humorously revealed that he jokingly requested Chopra to remember him for a bigger role in the future. The filmmaker's response was refreshingly honest. "He told me, 'Beta, main tere jaise actors ke liye kahan film banata hoon' (Son, I don't make films for actors like you)," Bajpayee recalled with a smile. "He didn't make any false promises. That's what I loved about him," he added.
Payment details
Bajpayee wanted to work for free
Despite initially offering to do the role without charging a fee, Bajpayee revealed that Chopra insisted on paying him. "He told me, 'I will pay you.' And believe me, he paid me the same amount I would charge for a lead role. Working with Mr. Yash Chopra was fantastic," Bajpayee added. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukerji in lead roles.
Career decisions
Bajpayee on career choices after 'Satya's success
Bajpayee also reflected on his career choices after the success of Satya. He revealed that he received several lucrative offers following the popularity of Bhiku Mhatre, but most of them were villain roles. "I didn't want to play villains. I wanted to do story-driven films and meaningful characters," he said, adding that waiting for projects like Shool, Zubeidaa, and Pinjar ultimately shaped his desired career path.