The Manoj Bajpai Chat
Manoj Bajpai was not the least bit serious when he started answering questions on Rediff Chat. Instead, he concentrated on soaking in the adulation. But, midway through the chat, he got serious as did his answers and he gave his fans an insight into the philosophy of Bollywood's hottest actor. He kept his answers simple, yet the thought behind it struck a chord.
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:31 IST)
Hi, I'm all ready.
yoyo (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:31 IST)
Manoj, why are all Hindi film heroes puny and delicate, whereas all the villains have great bodies and more masculine??
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:32 IST)
Yoyo: Are you forgetting about Salman Khan? ;-)
vikram (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:31 IST)
Manoj, do u have any other movies besides Shool?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:33 IST)
Vikram: I'm doing a film called Ghaat and a film with Mr Amitabh Bachchan, it is still unnamed and untitled.
The Last Don (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:32 IST)
Manoj, how hard or easy was it to prepare for the role of Bhiku Mahtre, knowing that you are not a Marathi?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:34 IST)
The Last Don: It's always very difficult to prepare somebody else. Aren't you dificult? :-)
Anupam (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:33 IST)
Acchha Manoj Bhai, mai Dilli se bol raha hoon! Aap ka Neha ke saath kya chakkar hai ? I know this is a little personal but it's best to get it from the horse's mouth!!!
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:35 IST)
Anupam: No question about me and Neha. Sorry to disappoint you.
Anupam (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:35 IST)
Haan, and before I forget -- you were simply HILARIOUS in KAUN!! Great show!
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:36 IST)
Anupam: I myself believe that it is my best performance, you might feel otherwise. Thanks a lot.
kiran (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:34 IST)
Which was your first film in your life & at what age was it?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:37 IST)
Kiran: My first film is Bandit Queen where I played Man Singh, and I was 27.
aasthabatra (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:37 IST)
Which role did u enjoy more -- Kaun or Satya???
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:39 IST)
Aasthabatra: I think both the films will be remembered by me as my most important films.
baldy (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:39 IST)
Manoj, whom do you rate as best villain?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:41 IST)
Baldy: Best villain, Amjad Khan.
Anupam (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:40 IST)
SATYA was a far more intense film... KAUN f***d up a little towards the end !
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:43 IST)
Anupam: Your criticism is welcome, but I think Kaun is a far superior movie. I think you should see it again.
mb (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:37 IST)
Hey Manoj, any person you would like to name who you think has influenced your life?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:44 IST)
MB: Barry John who is the theatre director in Delhi. Why don't you go and take his service? It will be a lifetime experience.
kiran (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:44 IST)
Do you really know how to enjoy life? Tell me if you have some nice advice
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:46 IST)
Kiran: I live my life the way I want to, and who says life is easy?
vikram (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:34 IST)
Hellloooo -- r u coming in any other movies besides Shool?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:47 IST)
Vikram: Go and see the films and find out. But I must tell you Shool is one helluva movie. You won't be disappointed. If you dislike it, your money wil be refunded. If you like it, you will have to get 10 people to the theatre.
GAURAV (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:46 IST)
Mr Bajpai, what about your passion for cricket??
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:48 IST)
Gaurav: My passion is acting. And cricket is my only hobby. I love watching cricket if India is playing.
vivekkedia (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:47 IST)
Manoj, if you are there, I wanna tell that Satya was a good movie and so was Kaun and your role in both were goooood. Keep the good work. I guess you and Ashutosh Rana are 2 goood actors.
vikram (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:47 IST)
Manoj, how does it feel acting with the Big B?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:51 IST)
Vivekkedia: Thanks for the compliments for Kaun and Satya .........Vikram: The film with Big B will start in July. I think I will be shivering acting opposite him.
aasthabatra (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:49 IST)
Please reply to my question! Whom else would you like to work with???
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:52 IST)
Aasthabatra: I would like to work with Naseeruddin Shah and the late Smita Patil. It's unfortunate that we lost her.
vivekkedia (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:51 IST)
Manoj, what will you do if, hypothetically, all your roles in films end and you don't get any new roles?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:53 IST)
Vivekkedia: Buddy, my career just started after waiting for 16 years, so pray for me. I hope you don't have a black tongue, yaar.
GAURAV (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:49 IST)
Mr Bajpai: What made you to do a movie like KAUN which was a total different sort of a film and the majority of the peple including me did also praise your performance??
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:54 IST)
Gaurav: The reasons are: This kind of film was being tried out for the first time in India and the very nature of it was very, very challenging for any actor. And, most importantly, it was being directed by Mr Ramgopal Varma.
Ninad (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:58 IST)
Manoj, kahaan kho gaye tum? I guess this time you really had the opportunity to chat unlike the Satya chat
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:3 IST)
Ninad: Yaar, main yahin hoon. Main jaanta hoon tum kyon ho aur kahan se ho :-)
vivekkedia (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:2 IST)
I certainly think that you and A Rana must do a film together
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:4 IST)
Vivekkedia: Do you have any script? I would love to do that. Since we two know each other since our theatre days and, yes, I'm not from NSD.
AnandiP (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:0 IST)
Why are you answering the same people's questions.1 Others are also there!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:5 IST)
AnandiP: Don't get pissed off, here I am so ask me.
Srikanth (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:5 IST)
Manoj, what are your forthcoming movies?????
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:7 IST)
Srikanth: Shool, Ghaat, the other films which are untitled. But I promise you that they are good films that I'm working in. I cannot say much because I'm not supposed to (my directors of the films have told me that)
mb (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:6 IST)
Which actor u rate as the "best" from the current crop of actors?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:10 IST)
MB: Among the stars, no one can beat Amitabh Bachchan. And among the real real actors, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Raghuvir Yadav are as competent as any of Hollywood's great actors. I like Tabu the best. Raveena is terrific in Shool.
vivekkedia (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:59 IST)
Manoj, what are your political affiliations?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:12 IST)
Vivekkedia: I think everyone is a political person because political decisions determine your day to day life. I think we'll have to look for one ideal politician; whoever we have have no substance to them.
Srikanth (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:10 IST)
Manoj bhai, who is your favourite Indian director????
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:13 IST)
Srikanth: Fave Indian director, Shekhar Kapur. Me and Ramgopal Varma are ardent fans of Mr Kapur and my other fave director is Mr Varma himself.
mb (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:15 IST)
Before acting as Bhiku, did you study the lifestyle of any underworld guy?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:18 IST)
MB: All criminals are also human beings. I have taken shades of my own relatives and friends to create the character and, believe me, they are not from the underworld. You just have to work very hard on the background of the character and, for that, you have to use your imagination which comes from your reading habits and observation skills. Believe me, buddy, it's very difficult sometimes. You take a somersault, sometimes you fall on your nose. And then, there is nobody to chat with ;-)
Srikanth (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:17 IST)
Even my fav director is Mr Varma. He is my fav 'coz I think he thinks differently from other directors. Now tell me, why is Mr Varma one of your fav directors?? Is it 'coz he is choosing u for most (in fact all) of his movies???
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:20 IST)
Srikanth: Buddy, I'm one of the luckiest who got the oppurtunity to feature in his films. Can anybody disagree that he is one of the best in our country? And he is daring too!
Anupam (Mon Jun 21 1999 7:26 IST)
Hi Manoj! Loved your performance in SATYA! After a very long time, I saw some great performances, NSD style!
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:21 IST)
Anupam: Are you reading or not? I'm not from NSD, but yes all the actors I admire are from the National School of Drama and that's why I wanted to go to NSD. But I had been rejected thrice.
Bharat (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:21 IST)
After some great acting in two major films like Satya & Kaun, are planning to do films as a hero?
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:23 IST)
Bharat: In Shool and Ghaat I'm playing heroes, but that's not my crieteria. If a negative role is written with utmost intelligence, I might fall for that. So don't expect anything conventional from me.
Srikanth (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:23 IST)
I became his fan when I saw his first movie Shiva (Telugu). Since you have been working with Mr Varma for long time now, you must be knowing him very well. Why do you think he is choosing Urmila for all of his movies after Rangeela???
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:25 IST)
Srikanth: I think this question should be asked to the director who chooses his actors. Don't you think it's a little overdoing it in asking this question to me?
speaknik (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:24 IST)
MANOJ SIR, YOU GOT POWER IN YOUR ACTING (YOU MUST HAVE HEARD THIS A MILLION TIMES) BUT I LIKE YOUR ACTING. PLEASE STICK TO THE QUALITY ROLES. DID U STRUGGLE REAL HARD TO REACH THIS PLACE? I AM ASKING THIS BECAUSE I AM IN THE STRUGGLING PHASE AND YOU CAN TAKE INSPIRATION FROM ANYBODY.
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:28 IST)
Speaknik: Buddy, if you think you are struggling then you had it. You are chasing your own dreams and that is not struggle and that is selfish. If at all anybody is struggling, they are the labour class. The kind of life they are leading you don't want to. Trying and trying and trying and trying for your ambition is part of your profession. Don't feel like a martyr. That's your dream and nobody else's. All the best, may you achieve what you want to achieve.
Srikanth (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:27 IST)
Yeah, I agree with u. As I said, I asked you that question since I thought you must knowing Mr Varma very well. Do you have any plans of directing????
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:31 IST)
Srikanth: I'll be quite tired once I give up on acting. After that, I wanna go back to my village and relax!!! Believe me, Bombay gives you dreams, dreams and dreams and more dreams and it can be taxing to achieve all those dreams. One lifetime, one dream. Achieve it if you can. After that, relax, buddy, die peacefully.
Manoj Bajpai (Mon Jun 21 1999 8:33 IST)
Sorry, guys, I have to rush. I can't be insincere to my work which I have to join right now. I'll keep coming back. And I must tell you, I will never disappoint you with my work. I love you all for giving me confidence and so much of best wishes. Please watch Shool which is releasing in August but, before that, I will be back to chat with you all. Thanks a lot.
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