Manoj Bajpayee talks about his love for wife Shabana: ‘When I looked at her, we fell in love, started dating’
Manoj Bajpayee and his wife Shabana Raza both had a memorable July 1998. It was the time when Manoj became a household name after playing the fierce gangster Bhiku Mhatre in Ram Gopal Varma’s hit crime film ‘Satya’. Around the same time, Shabana stepped into the world of acting with the romantic film ‘Kareeb’, co-starring Bobby Deol, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film may have failed to attract audiences to theatres, but Shabana managed to win many hearts with her natural and convincing performance as Neha.
Manoj Bajpayee on how he fell in love with Shabana
Talking to SCREEN, Bajpayee opened up about how his love story with Shabana began the moment they crossed paths at a party, saying it was nothing short of love at first sight. He said, “Kareeb was also celebrated, and she became the find of the year. I was completely enamoured by her when I looked at her and interacted with her. We fell in love. It was from the first day itself actually that we started dating”.
Why Shabana never visits Manoj Bajpayee on set
Beyond their personal bond, Bajpayee also feels that having Shabana as his partner has been a blessing in his professional life as well. Her deep understanding of the film industry and her thoughtful nature have helped them maintain a healthy balance. One of the clearest examples of this is her firm decision to never step onto his sets. “My wife is very receptive and sensitive about these things. It shows in her decision that she’ll never visit me on set. Because somewhere at the beginning itself, she accepted that Manoj is different and she’s not ready to accept this Manoj, where she’s not feeling accepted or unwelcomed. That was the time she decided she wouldn’t come on set,” recalls the actor.
Manoj Bajpayee calls it a different kind of understanding
Bajpayee admits that there are moments when he genuinely wishes Shabana would come along with him to the set, yet she always holds herself back, knowing it is ultimately for his benefit. And as an actor herself, she understands exactly why. “That’s good because as an actor, she understood it’d be stupid if she demands my attention at this point. What he’s doing and going through is completely different, where she doesn’t even come into that zone. It’s a different kind of understanding,” argues Bajpayee.
Manoj Bajpayee’s journey from ‘Satya’ to ‘The Family Man ’
After seven years of dating, Shabana finally tied the knot with Bajpayee in 2006, and the couple welcomed their daughter Ava Nayla into the world in 2011. Shabana stepped away from acting in 2009, but has been by Bajpayee’s side through every phase of his incredible journey, from his breakout role in Satya to his massive success with The Family Man over nearly three decades. Reflecting on his career graph, Bajpayee believes that while people may perceive his journey differently, not much has truly changed from his perspective. “In people’s eyes, my career has changed. But in reality, nothing has changed because even then, I wasn’t doing the films that were coming to me. So, the situation has remained the same,” says Bajpayee.
Manoj Bajpayee on his slow and steady financial growth
When it comes to his financial growth, Bajpayee reveals that it was a slow and steady climb rather than an overnight transformation brought on by the success of any one film. “Initially, when you do films as an actor, you’re not paid well. It takes years before you start asking for your own price. So, the circumstances remain the same. It’s just that there was a little bit of comfort in terms of the money,” adds the actor.He goes on to share how tight things were in his early days, when even the smallest expenses required careful thought. “Now, that became easier. But it was still not that easy where I could just go to a showroom and buy a car (laughs). It took me around seven to eight years before I started asking for my price,” reveals Bajpayee.
Manoj Bajpayee says it’s never just one film that changes everything
Looking back at the timeline, one might point to his supporting role in Yash Chopra’s blockbuster romantic drama ‘Veer-Zaara’ in 2004, six years after ‘Satya’, as a turning point, especially since Bajpayee has mentioned that he was paid as well as a lead actor for that film. However, he is quick to dismiss the idea that any single film can completely transform an actor’s career trajectory. For Bajpayee, it has always been about consistently building a body of work that speaks for itself over time. “This is my experience in the industry. You keep piling up good work and keep creating your credibility, and then people start respecting you. To get that entry into any office, you’ve to prove for a long time. That’s still relevant,” adds the actor.
