Manoj Bajpayee is one of the finest actors in Indian cinema who is known for playing emotionally deep and complex characters. Whether it was his role as ‘Bhiku Mhatre’ in Satya or ‘Srikant Tiwari’ in Family Man, the actor has always left a lasting impact on the minds of the audiences. Amid these successful roles, Manoj has also been vocal about the roles he turned down, which later became iconic. However, recently, a new claim floated on the internet which stated that Manoj Bajpayee was the first choice to play Aamir Khan’s role in Rang De Basanti. In turn, the actor took to social media to fact-check the claim which has left netizens in splits.
Manoj Bajpayee shuts down the claim that he was first approached to play lead in Rang De Basanti
Rang De Basanti is one of the most loved films in Bollywood, which revolves around young students, a modern revolution and India’s freedom struggle. It was one of the best roles played by Aamir, and when a recent post claimed that Manoj Bajpayee was the first choice to play the role, but he rejected it had left the fans surprised. Recently, Manoj himself took to his X handle to clear the air around the same and penned:
“And who is the producer who said this? Naam to bata !! SM pe itne khali lota le ke baithe hai!”
Manoj Bajpayee’s classic wit and no-nonsense way of shutting down the fake rumour was soon appreciated by his fans. Several netizens reacted to the same and flooded his comments section with mixed responses. One user commented, “Instant fact check ny Bhiku Mhatre” Another netizen penned, “Kuch bhi likh diya jata hai aaj Kal.” A fan highlighted how Manoj’s reply is a new meme material on the internet and wrote, “‘SM pe tine khali lota le ke baithe hai’ new meme material by Manoj Bajpayee.”
What did the fake rumour claim about Manoj Bajpayee?
The post shared by a social media page stated that a producer revealed Manoj Bajpayee was the first choice for playing the lead of ‘Daljeet’ in Rang De Basanti and not Aamir Khan who eventually played the role. It also claimed that Manoj didn’t respond to the opportunity, which led to a 6-year delay in the film. At the same time, the makers had to change the whole cast and schedule due to him. However, the post did not mention the name of the producer, but a report by TOI mentioned that screenwriter, Kamlesh Pandey shared those points on Ravya Sarda’s YouTube channel.
More about Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj Bajpayee comes from a simple household in Bihar, and after getting rejected by the National School of Drama thrice, he joined Barry John’s acting workshops. He impressed the trainer to the extent that he hired Manoj to assist him, and later, Manoj got a teaching opportunity at the National School of Drama. After a cameo, the actor made his debut with Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen in 1994. But, he got his big breakthrough with Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya, which made him a household name. Manoj has been a part of successful films and shows like Shool, Zubeidaa, LOC Kargil, Veer-Zaara, Raajneeti, Gangs of Wasseypur and more.
What do you think about Manoj Bajpayee’s unique way to shut down a false rumour?
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