Manoj Bajpayee has always been celebrated as one of India’s finest actors, yet he has never chased the traditional trappings of stardom. In a recent conversation with Bollywood Bubble, the three-time National
Award winner opened up about his “conscious choice” to avoid the glamour-driven path of superstardom, explaining why he feels “claustrophobic” when fans now surround him.
Manoj Bajpayee on Not Being Accustomed to Adulation
Reflecting on his decades-long career, Manoj said he was never accustomed to dramatic reactions from fans, unlike the frenzy often witnessed around Bollywood superstars.
“I have been working. I have never gotten into a space where people are chasing me, or following me, or asking for—or, you know, they are just crying looking at you. I’ve never had those kinds of reactions coming from the audience,” he said.
He explained that his filmography—ranging from critically acclaimed gems to middle-of-the-road releases—was a deliberate choice to focus on performance rather than popularity.
“Some of them went through the roof. Some of them were middle-range, some stayed under the radar… So, since my path was not something which would lead to so-called stardom—and it was a conscious choice—I was fine doing those films.”
On Stardom of Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman and Ajay Devgn
Manoj further reflected on how the OTT boom has exposed him to a new wave of fandom, but unlike his contemporaries who embraced superstardom early, he finds the attention overwhelming.
“When I’m surrounded by new fans now, I find it claustrophobic because this is not what I’m used to,” Manoj confessed.
“Look, Salman, Saif, Ajay, Shah Rukh, Aamir—they are used to it. They got their stardom at the age of 25, 26, right? They don’t even know what it is to be without fans. I am used to having no fans. So I find it too much—too much interference into my privacy.”
What’s Next for Manoj Bajpayee?
Despite his discomfort with stardom, Manoj continues to experiment with roles across genres. His latest release, Jugnuma (The Fable), directed by Raam Reddy, hit theatres on September 12.
Set in the late 1980s, the film follows Dev (played by Manoj), a man who discovers mysteriously burnt trees in his fruit orchards nestled in the Himalayas. As more fires break out, he is forced to confront unsettling truths about himself and his family.
The movie also stars Tillotama Shome, Deepak Dobariyal, Priyanka Bose, Awan Pookot, and Hiral Sidhu. Presented by Academy Award winner Guneet Monga alongside Anurag Kashyap, Jugnuma is being hailed as a layered, atmospheric drama.
