‘Hoga Aryan Khan apne ghar mein’: Irked Manoj Pahwa refused Bads of Bollywood offer, recalls Shah Rukh’s ‘Aao Mannat, daaru peete hai’ invite

In a recent interview with Mashable India, Manoj Pahwa opened up about how he eventually joined the project and the challenges he faced while working on the show.

Recalling the first interaction, Manoj said, “Aryan made me do things I have never done before. I didn’t give any audition for that role. He simply called me and told me he wanted me to do it. I had refused him at first.”

Explaining the reason behind his hesitation, he added, “I had asked for the script, but my manager told me that they weren’t giving the show’s script to anybody. That put me off. I am from Delhi, so I was like, ‘I won’t do it either. Hoga apne ghar ka, hum bhi kam nahi hai.’ I had done a few films with Shah Rukh, but we didn’t share any major personal bond.”

He further revealed, “After a week, my manager called me and said they had sent four different scripts. I read them and really liked the material. When I finally met the team, they told me, ‘Please don’t tell anyone we gave you the script because we haven’t shared it with any other actors. We sent it to you only because you had refused the role.’”

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Manoj also spoke about how Aryan pushed him creatively on set. “After he finally convinced me, he made me do things that are still getting strong reactions from the audience,” he said.

Sharing an amusing behind-the-scenes detail, Manoj added, “Sometimes I used to object, but he would say, ‘Achha lagega, sir!’ He made me abuse so much — I wasn’t comfortable with it. Aryan told me, ‘Sir, aapke mooh se gaali achhi lagti hai.’ As an actor, I can only suggest things. The final verdict is always the director’s.”

Despite his initial doubts, Manoj admitted he was ultimately happy with the outcome. “I am very happy with the way he made the show. It turned out great and became extremely popular. They paid us fully and treated us with a lot of respect,” he said.

The actor also shared his experience of working around Shah Rukh Khan, who would often visit the sets to support his son. “Shah Rukh sir was extremely kind on set. He would often say, ‘Come to Mannat, daaru peete hai (let’s have alcohol),’” Manoj recalled with a laugh.

In Bads of Bollywood, Manoj Pahwa played Lakshya Lalwani’s uncle — a struggling musician whose life changes after he goes viral on social media, earning long-overdue recognition for his talent.