Last Updated:
Manoj Bajpayee recalled that theatre kept him busy in Delhi, but when he moved to Mumbai, he was completely broke and would starve the whole day.
Manoj Bajpayee opens up about his struggling days.
Manoj Bajpayee is undeniably one of the finest actors in the film industry today. He has carved a niche for himself with his stellar performances in several films and series. However, his journey in Bollywood wasn’t an easy one. The actor has seen his fair share of ups and downs before cementing his place in the industry. The ‘Aligarh’ actor has often been vocal about his struggles. He recently recalled his initial days in Mumbai, back when he was broke, and would starve the whole day.
In a conversation with entrepreneur Ritesh Agarwal for Mint, Manoj Bajpayee first talked about his struggle in Delhi, when he was living in a barsati. For the unversed, barsati is a rooftop space on the city’s low rise building, turned into a habitable room. The actor said that he still shudders when he thinks of his days in a barsati. He used to reside in Mukherjee Nagar, and the only advantage of barsati is that they are cheap. However, it used to get unbearably hot in the summers, and extremely cold in the winters. “If the temperature outside was 40 degrees, it would feel like 45 degrees inside. It was hell,” he said.
He said that when he was staying in Delhi, he used to stay busy as he worked 18 hours a day. While theatre didn’t pay him a lot, it kept him busy. He never slept hungry, thanks to his friends who would share their food with him. After a few years, he moved to Mumbai, and it was a very difficult time for him. Recalling his struggling days in Mumbai, Manoj Bajpayee said that he wasn’t doing good physically, mentally or emotionally. He was wandering from studio to studio to look for work, and was completely broke. “I would starve the whole day. Production people would chase us out when we would approach them for work,” he shared.
Eventually the ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ actor learned a few tricks to survive in the city and arrange for food. He recalled that he would go to a set exactly during lunch break. “I used to find a familiar face first and then our conversation would lead to, ‘I am going to grab a bite, you want to join?’ And I would be like, ‘Sure’,” he said.
Manoj Bajpayee was born in a small village called Belwa in Bihar. He is known popularly for his excellent performances in films such as Satya, Shool, Gangs Of Wasseypur, Aligarh, Bhonsle, as well as in series such as The Family Man, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai.