Manoj Bajpayee speaks out against lobbies in award shows after 4th National Award win

Manoj Bajpayee is as known for his candid statements as his acting prowess. Following his fourth National Award win, the ‘Aligarh’ actor spoke at length on how award shows are no longer impartial and are also susceptible to politics. The actor, who was honoured with a special mention at the 70th National Film Awards for his role in the movie ‘Gulmohar’, spoke about lobbying.

The ‘Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai’ actor explained that while many in the film industry actively campaign for awards, he prefers to focus on his work and trusts fate to determine any recognition, rather than seeking it out himself. In an interview with IANS, Manoj stated that lobbying for awards goes against his core values.

“I must tell you that no award in my house that is kept has been lobbied or has been pushed from my side. That is completely against my principles. I have always said that if I lobby for awards, how could I look at those awards every single day in my house?” he told the news agency. The ‘Joram’ star also admitted that every award made him feel “ecstatic and great.”


He also thanked the organisers for the special mention. “The Special mention in the National Award is given to those who the jury feels have done a remarkable performance. I got the Special Mention Award many years ago for ‘Pinjar’ and to get it 20 years later for ‘Gulmohar’, I can’t define what the feeling is right now,” he said.

About ‘Gulmohar’

Directed by Rahul V Chittela, ‘Gulmohar’ is a family drama that revolves around the Batra family, who has been staying in a mansion called Gulmohar for several decades. However, the house gets sold, and the family congregates in their ancestral home one last time.

Aside from Bajpayee, ‘Gulmohar’ also had veteran actors such as Sharmila Tagore (it marked her acting comeback), Simran, Suraj Sharma, and Amol Palekar, among others.