Happy birthday, Manoj Bajpayee: 5 iconic roles with gray shades
An actor par excellence, Manoj Bajpayee has delivered some of the finest performances in his three-decade-long career. His versatility to play any given role and his method acting are what have made him one of the most bankable actors in the Hindi film industry. As Bajpayee turns 54 on Sunday, we take a look at five films in which he played a gray character.
'Satya'
One project that certainly shaped Bajpayee's career is the 1998 film Satya. Directed by Ram Gopal Verma, Bajpayee played the iconic role of Bhiku Mhatre in the film. It remains at the top of all the characters he has essayed since he started his career. The film's impact was such that after its release, fans started to address Bajpayee as Bhiku Matre.
'Gangs of Wasseypur'
Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur franchise is a critically acclaimed project. Its first installment was released in the year 2012. It revolves around the coal mafia in Dhanbad, highlighting politics, the underlying power struggles, and the tension between three mafia families. Bajpayee played Sardar Khan, which remains the darkest character he has ever played. His character was full of lust, immorality, and crime.
'Raajneeti'
In Prakash Jha's 2010 film Rajneeti, Bajpayee was seen playing the role of Veerendra Pratap, an antagonist. Veerendra is the son of Bhanu Pratap and a candidate for the Madhya Pradesh chief minister's post from the Rashtrawadi party. The political thriller also starred Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles. It showed Bajpayee as a power-hungry and ambitious politician.
'Satyagraha'
Three years after Rajneeti, filmmaker Jha released another political thriller drama, Satyagraha, in 2013, and Bajpayee once again played a power-hungry politician in it. His character could go to any length in order to achieve his motives and ambitious objectives. Satyagraha, which also starred actors Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Rampal, and Kareena Kapoor Khan, revolved around the widespread corruption in politics and the government.
'Aarakshan'
Jha and Bajpayee have collaborated on many projects. Another fine delivery of their collaboration is Aarakshan, which was released in the year 2011. Apart from Bachchan and Bajpayee, the movie also starred Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan, and Prateik Babbar. Based on India's reservation system, Bajpayee essayed the role of Mithilesh Singh, the brain behind corrupt coaching institutions charging a bomb but teaching nothing.
