Manoj Bajapayee is one of the finest actors we have in Bollywood today. Although his film trajectory includes cinematic gems like Satya, Pinjar and Aligarh, his movies like Gangs Of Wasseypur and recently, his Amazon Original web series The Family Man truly made him a household name among fans and even those who aren’t exactly film connoisseurs.

© Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

It may have taken years for Bollywood and desi fans to recognise his potential and talent but he has been getting a lot of offers from the West all this while. Recently, in a conversation on Clubhouse, he shared one incident where he ‘almost’ made his Hollywood debut opposite Lynn Collins in a film that also starred Frank Langella and Justin Theroux. This happened right after he got a national Award for his role in Pinjar.  

© Instagram/Manoj Bajpayee

He said, “I was about to get my second National Award for Pinjar and after that, I was supposed to go to Jaisalmer. After my National Award function, the next day, I travelled to Jaisalmer. There I was going to do a proper Hollywood film which was being directed by an NRI.” 

© Instagram/Manoj Bajpayee

I was playing the lead, Lynn Collins was my female counterpart and Justin Theroux was playing one role, Frank Langella was playing a role in that film and there were (a few other) actors in that film. Everyone was thinking my life's going to be so huge after that film because I was playing the lead with Justin Theroux, Lynn Collins, Frank Langella,” he added. 

© Instagram/Manoj Bajpayee

Interestingly enough, it was an astrologer who forecasted that it wouldn't work out. Actor Shrivallabh Vyas’ father, a great astrologer predicted otherwise. “We were having lunch and then I came to know that his father is a great astrologer and he was a very old person. He could hardly manage to speak. Shrivallabh said 'No, no, no, show your chart to my father. He's a great astrologer in Rajasthan and he's the astrologer to the King of Jaisalmer.' Then I requested his father to please tell me what would happen to this film, he recalled. 

© Instagram/Manoj Bajpayee

“He said, 'Nothing would happen.' So I said, 'Uncle, please see again, there must be something.' He repeated, 'No, I can't see anything.' Then I came out, one part of your heart is saying it's true and one part of your heart is saying it's not true. We all wrapped up and came back and nothing happened,” he added.

© Instagram/Manoj Bajpayee

He probably didn’t get it because he was meant for bigger and better things and Bollywood owed him the success and recognition he deserved in Indian cinema. 

© Prime Video

We are glad ‘the family man’ stayed in Bollywood.

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