Manoj Bajpayee revealed that Yash Chopra paid him the same fees as he did as a lead actor for his short appearance in Veer-Zaara. The actor recalled the incident during a conversation with Shekhar Suman on the show ‘Shekhar Tonight’.
He said he agreed to play the role because he wanted to work with Chopra, not because of the money. But the director insisted on paying him.
Manoj Bajpayee remembers Yash Chopra’s screening of Veer-Zaara
According to Hindustan Times, Manoj looked back on the post-‘Satya’ phase, when several big offers came his way. He said that he turned down many well-paying films because he did not want to continue playing villainous roles. He preferred stories and characters that aligned with his creative goals, even when those choices meant lower pay.Manoj then spoke about Yash Chopra’s invitation for the film ‘Veer-Zaara’. He said that Chopra offered him a small role after watching his performance in the film “Pinjar”. The actor noted that he did not even want to hear the full script because he simply wanted the director to direct it.He asked Chopra to explain the story and character in one line, but Aditya Chopra narrated the entire scene to him. Manoj played the role of Raza Sharazi in Veer-Zaara, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles.
Yash Chopra paid the entire fee for Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj said that he asked Chopra to remember him for a bigger role next time. The director answered him directly, saying that he does not usually make films with actors like him. Manoj said he liked Chopra’s honesty as the director did not make false promises.The actor also said that he offered to do the role without being paid any money. “I won’t charge anything,” he recalls telling Chopra. But the director refused and later sent him the same amount he usually received for the lead role.The film ‘Veer-Zaara’ was released in 2004 and became a huge hit. The film also features Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Divya Dutta, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher in the lead roles. It later won the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
