Manoj Bajpayee says he was out of work for eight months after Satya as industry tried to typecast him: ‘Got lot of offers to play villain opposite all big superstars’

In an interview with Mashable, Manoj Bajpayee opened up about how the success of Satya didn’t immediately translate into good work, as he would have hoped for.

“Industry started looking at me thinking that a new villain has been found. But I was adamant that I didn’t want to play a villain. So after Satya, for eight months I didn’t have any work. I used to get a lot of offers, to play villain opposite all big superstars. But I had something else on my mind. It was tough to say no to that much of money and work, both which I didn’t have before Satya.

“I didn’t know where I was right or wrong, but I had a resolve… That I will do what I want to do. The reason why I came to Mumbai was to follow my heart and do the kind of work I want to do and earn money from that,” he added.

Manoj Bajpayee said though Satya was a huge success, it wasn’t that his lifestyle changed overnight. He bought his first car only after eight months and his first house, nearly six years later.

“Very few actors saw the kind of success I did with Satya. But I bought a house six years after the film. Because the kind of work I wanted to do, I would either do it for free or for Rs 1 or 2 lakh. But I was okay with it. My first car, I bought after eighth months of Satya. Prior to that, I would only travel in auto. Even for media interviews. I never felt bad about it. I sometimes still travel in autos if my driver is running late,” he added.

The Family Man star is currently awaiting the release of his next, Gulmohar. Also starring Sharmila Tagore, Simran, Suraj Sharma and Amol Palekar, the Rahul V Chittella directorial will premiere on Disney Plus Hotstar on March 3.