He is one the biggest talents in the country today, but
Manoj Bajpayee recalls that his journey as an actor in Bollywood was not an easy one. In choosing offbeat roles, he got called 'arrogant' by the Hindi film industry as he refused to conform to industry norms, he said in an interview with a daily. He also was accused of having a bloated head.
Years later, Manoj does not regret for taking a stance to not succumb to commercialism and be true to his craft.
He feels it is this stance and patience of a group of actors that made things happen in little ways, the fruits of which the new-age actors are reaping today.
Even after winning two National Awards - '
Satya' (1998) and 'Pinjar' (2003), Manoj reportedly still has a hunger to better his craft. He said that he is still learning new techniques to portray difficult characters.
Since his work in 'Gangs of Wasseypur', Manoj is once again being flooded with diverse roles. He is happy with the offers coming in as he wants to experiment and wants to work with directros who don't compromise with their craft and push him to do roles that he has never done before.