.jpg)
Manoj Bajpayee’s filmography is a fine mix of indie and commercial hits like Satya, Gangs of Wasseypur, Special 26 and Aligarh, to name a few. In a career spanning four decades and over 100 films, Bajpayee has time and again delivered exceptional performances. However, there have been several instances when Manoj Bajpayee rejected big-ticket films, one of which was a blockbuster starring Shah Rukh Khan…
Manoj Bajpayee reveals the one movie he regrets rejecting:
Manoj Bajpayee — who will next be seen in The Family Man 3 — revealed in an interview with YouTuber Sushant Sinha that he regrets saying no to Devdas. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial was released in 2002 and was headlined by Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit Nene. Bajpayee was offered the role of Devdas’ friend Chunnilal, which eventually fell into the lap of Jackie Shroff.
When asked if he had ever declined a role in a movie that went on to become a superhit, Manoj Bajpayee disclosed, “Yes, I was offered Jackie Shroff's role in Devdas, but I immediately said no. I told Sanjay, ‘Sanjay, yaar, meri toh hamesha se ichchha thi Devdas karne ki (My wish since forever has been to play Devdas),’” according to Moneycontrol.
“That film became a superhit, but I have regrets about letting it go. I'd wanted to play Devdas since my theatre days, ever since I'd watched Dilip Kumar's film, or read the book. But I never felt bad,” Bajpayee said.
Devdas was the most expensive Indian film ever made at the time and went on to become a blockbuster as the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. The movie won five awards at the National Film Awards including Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The same year when Devdas was released, Manoj Bajpayee starred in the Ram Gopal Varma-produced Road.
Another actor who rejected Chunnilal’s role in Devdas was Govinda. In an interview with India TV, according to India Today, the actor revealed the reason why he said no to the film. According to Govinda, he was “a superstar” and the actor wondered why Sanjay Leela Bhansali would offer him a “character role” instead.
