When Shyam Benegal Convinced Manoj Bajpayee That He Could Play A Royal Prince In Zubeidaa: “I Was His Genius To See Me…”
Shyam Benegal was convinced that Manoj Bajpayee would be the perfect choice to play a royal prince in Zubeidaa.
by Shreshtha Chaudhury · KoimoiLegendary director and screenwriter Shyam Benegal died at 90 on Monday (December 23). The pioneer behind movies acclaimed movies like Manthan, Ankur, Mandi, Mujib, and other notable works, his death has marked a significant loss for Indian cinema. Those who had associated with Benegal spoke highly of his unique vision. One of them was actor Manoj Bajpayee, who worked with the director in the 2001 film Zubeidaa. In a throwback interaction, Bajpayee revealed how the filmmaker had convinced him to play a royal prince in the movie even though he was skeptical before taking the role.
What Did Manoj Bajpayee Reveal About Shyam Benegal?
Manoj Bajpayee revealed to PTI that he met Shyam Benegal a few years after the success of his film Satya wherein he had played the iconic role of gangster Bhiku Mhatre. The director of Satya, Ram Gopal Verma, had sent a message to Manoj through the late director. The Family Man actor recalled the same and said, “He sent me a message through Ram Gopal Varma. And Varma told me only one thing, ‘Shyam Benegal wants to work with you. He wants to cast you in some role. I don’t know what the film is all about, but you are not going to say no to anything that he offers. That should be our regard and respect for that filmmaker, so you are going to say yes. You are not going to say no.”
An ecstatic Manoj Bajpayee then added, “And I was so grateful to Ram Gopal Varma that I decided that I will do whatever he gives me.” However, Bajpayee soon found out that Shyam Benegal wanted to cast him as a prince for Zubeidaa opposite Karisma Kapoor. But the actor recalled how the director had immense faith in him even when he thought that he did not look like a prince.
Recalling further, Manoj Bajpayee said, “It was his genius to see me beyond my looks. He was very convinced that it is Manoj Bajpayee who would do this role. It was me who was doubting that. He told me, ‘These are the photographs of all the kings of India, and you tell me whether you are better looking than them or not. He did that to just calm me down about the casting. I was very doubtful about his casting.”
This is how Manoj Bajpayee ended up playing Prince Vijayendra Singh of Fatehpur in Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa. Meanwhile, talking about the filmmaker, he passed away due to a chronic kidney ailment reportedly. His daughter, Pia Benegal confirmed the same.
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