Quiz: Here’s a chance to test how much you know about Manoj Bajpayee

Did you know that this recipient of three National Awards got rejected thrice by the National School of Drama?,

Manoj Bajpayee, who hails from a village called Belwa, turned his life around and carved himself as one of the most versatile actors in the Hindi film industry. In 2021, his second season for the thriller series The Family Man was considered as one of the best shows of the year, but the actor has forever rendered compelling onscreen turns.

From the time he made it to the big screen with minor roles in Drohkaal(1994), Dastak (1996) and Bandit Queen(1994) to his major big screen breakthrough, Ram Gopal Varma's Satya(1998) where he played the role of a gangster, Bhiku Mhatre, Bajpayee has always managed to impress us. During his struggling days, Bajpayee was rejected thrice by the National School of Drama but the actor’s diligence and determination ensured that he managed to prove himself. Today, the actor has bagged three National Awards and various other accolades for this numerous hits which range from critically-acclaimed films such as Bhonsle(2018), 1971(2007) and Aligarh(2016) to commercial blockbusters such as Gangs of Wasseypur(2012), Raajneeti(2010), among others. Over the last few years, the method actor has also delivered in short films such as Kriti(2016) and regional films in Telugu and Tamil language, so it's quite evident that Bajpayee does not shy away from experimenting even if it means taking certain calculated career risks.

Today, Bajpayee has managed to shed his previously-earned moniker of Bhiku Mhatre (his character in Satya) to now be referred to as Shrikant Tiwari (the diligent intelligence officer he played in the successful web series The Family Man). Considering the tremendous popularity of the show, the character has been elevated to pop culture and will surely stick with the actor till he fills into a new character that shadows Tiwari. In fact, it’s hardly surprising that the Hindustan Times praised his performance in the show, saying, “Manoj Bajpayee is, as he usually tends to be, effortlessly excellent.”

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