Manoj Bajpayee and his wife Shabana Raza made their debut in July 1998. The actor reveals that it was love at first sight when they met at a party. Shabana never visited him out of mutual understanding. Bajpayee says his success has been built gradually through years of consistent hard work.
Manoj Bajpayee and his wife Shabana Raza had a memorable month of July 1998. This was the time when Manoj became a household name after playing the role of ferocious gangster Bhiku Matri in Ram Gopal Varma’s hit crime thriller ‘Satya’. Around the same time, Shabana entered the world of acting with the romantic film “Karib”, co-starring Bobby Deol and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
The film may have failed to attract the audience to the theatres, but Shobana managed to win the hearts of many with her natural and convincing performance as Neha.
Manoj Bajpayee talks about how he fell in love with Shabana
Speaking to SCREEN, Bajpayee spoke about how his love story with Shobana started the moment they met at a party, saying it was nothing less than love at first sight. “The crepe was also celebrated and became the discovery of the year. I was completely fascinated by it as I looked at it and interacted with it,” he said.
We fell in love. We started dating from day one itself.”
Why does Shabana never visit Manoj Bajpayee?
In addition to their personal bond, Bajpai 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 thoughtful nature helped them maintain a healthy balance. One of the clearest examples of this is her firm decision to never enter his groups. “My wife is very accepting and sensitive about these matters.
It shows in her decision that she will never visit me on set.
Because somewhere in the beginning itself, she has accepted that Manoj is different and she is not ready to accept this Manoj, as she does not feel accepted or unwelcome. “That was the time she decided she wouldn’t come to the set,” the actor recalls.
Manoj Bajpayee calls it a different kind of understanding
Bajpayee admits that there are moments when he sincerely wishes Shabana would come with him to the set, but she always stops herself from doing so, knowing that it is ultimately to his advantage.
As an actress, she understands exactly why. “It’s good because as an actress, she understood that it would be stupid for her to demand my attention at this point. What he’s doing and going through is completely different, as she doesn’t even get into that zone.
“It’s a different kind of understanding,” Bajpayee says.
Manoj Bajpayee’s journey from ‘Satya’ to ‘Satya’Family man ‘
After seven years of dating, Shabana finally married Bajpayee in 2006, and the couple welcomed their daughter Ava Naila into the world in 2011.
Shobhana stepped away from acting in 2009, but he has been by Bajpayee’s side through every stage of his amazing journey, from his breakout role in Satya to his massive success with The Family Man, spanning nearly three decades. Reflecting on his career graph, Bajpayee believes that while people may look at his journey differently, not much has really changed from his perspective.
“In people’s eyes, my career changed. But in reality, nothing changed because until then, I wasn’t doing the films that were coming to me.
So, the situation remained the same,” says Bajpayee.
Manoj Bajpayee talks about his slow and steady financial growth
When it comes to his financial growth, Bajpayee reveals that it has been a slow and steady rise and not an overnight transformation caused by the success of any one film. “Initially, when you do films as an actor, you don’t get paid well. It takes years before you start demanding your rate. So, conditions remain the same. It’s just that there has been little comfort in terms of money,” adds the actor.He goes on to talk about how tight things were in his early days, when even the smallest expenses required careful thought. “Now, it has become easier. But it was not that easy as I could go to a showroom and buy a car (laughs). It took me about seven to eight years before I started asking my price,” reveals Bajpayee.
Manoj Bajpayee says just one film changes everything
If we look at the timeline, one could 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 had reportedly been paid in addition to the lead actor for that film.
However, he is quick to dismiss the idea that any single film can completely change an actor’s career path. For Bajpayee, it has always been about building a body of work that speaks for itself over time.
“This is my experience in the industry. You keep accumulating good work and keep creating your credibility, and then people start respecting you. To be able to get into any office, you have to prove for a long time. This is still relevant,” adds the actor.