Manoj Bajpayee has opened up about his memorable experience working with legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra in Veer-Zaara starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji. Speaking on Shekhar Suman’s chat show Shekhar Tonite, the National Award-winning actor recalled how Chopra’s honesty and generosity left a lasting impression on him.Bajpayee, who played 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 the acclaimed director.
‘I just wanted to be directed by Yash Chopra’
During the conversation, Manoj shared that Yash 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,” Manoj recalled.The actor admitted that he did not even want to hear the script before saying yes.“I told him, ‘Just tell me when to come, tell me about the character and I’ll prepare.’ I simply wanted to be directed by Yash Chopra,” he said.However, Chopra insisted that Manoj listen to the narration, following which Aditya Chopra walked him through the scenes.
‘I don’t make films for actors like you’
Manoj revealed that after hearing the narration, he jokingly requested Yash Chopra to remember him for a bigger role in the future.The filmmaker’s response, according to Manoj, 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),” Manoj recalled with a smile.Chopra further explained that the kind of roles he typically offered were roles Bajpayee would probably not choose to do.“He didn’t make any false promises. That’s what I loved about him,” Manoj said.
Yash Chopra paid him like a lead actor
The Family Man star also revealed that he initially offered to do the role without charging a fee.“I told him I wouldn’t take any money. But he refused,” Manoj said.According to the actor, Yash Chopra insisted on paying him and eventually sent a cheque equivalent to what Bajpayee was earning as a lead actor at the time.“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,” Manoj added.
Manoj Bajpayee on choosing meaningful roles over money
Elsewhere in the conversation, Manoj reflected on the choices he made after the success of Satya. He revealed that although he received several lucrative offers following the popularity of Bhiku Mhatre, 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 the career he wanted.
