Manoj Bajpayee shares the biggest sacrifice he made to become a star: 'Never spent more than 10 days with her'

Success is not possible without some sacrifice. If you want to reach the pinnacle of success and are relentless about achieving your goals, there are some sacrifices you have to make. Nothing worthwhile is possible without a price. In an old interview with director Mahesh Bhatt, actor Manoj Bajpayee opened up about his biggest sacrifice – it was the company of his parents. The ‘Satya’ star, who had been a recipient of four National Awards, revealed he had never spent more than 10 days with his mother in the past 20 years. He also said he was haunted by a niggling sense of guilt that in the race for fulfilling his dreams, he had betrayed his parents.

He also said, "When I called my parents for the screen award, it was the first award I was getting. They had come for two days. As we were talking, on the way, she said, 'Son, remember one thing, one who has not achieved success is not a fool'. Only a mother can say this,” he said. He added, "Once I had gone to Delhi to spend two days. I took a bath in the morning, and while combing my hair, I said, 'Mother, how do I look? I look good, don't I?'. She said, 'Son, on getting the fame and money, even a donkey looks beautiful.”

Bajpayee’s mother, Geeta Devi, breathed her last in 2022. She was 80. She was unwell for over 20 days before she passed away in a hospital in New Delhi.


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Bajpayee began his feature-film career with small roles in Drohkaal and Bandit Queen, both released in 1994. His major breakthrough came with Ram Gopal Varma’s 1998 crime drama Satya, where he portrayed gangster Bhiku Mhatre. The performance earned him widespread critical acclaim and established him as one of the most compelling actors in Hindi cinema. He received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor as well as the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for his work in the film.

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He subsequently appeared in movies, including Kaun? and Shool, both released in 1999. His portrayal in Shool further cemented his reputation as a powerful performer, earning him his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.