Gunjan Chaudhary
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan recently won the Best Actor award for Jawan at the 71st National Film Awards, marking the first National Award of his illustrious career. While his win has made headlines and delighted his fans, it has also sparked debate among cinema enthusiasts. Many people felt that the award should have gone to Manoj Bajpayee for his powerful performance in Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai. After days of speculation, Manoj Bajpayee has finally shared his thoughts on the matter.
Manoj Bajpayee
In a conversation with one of the media houses, Manoj addressed the controversy calmly, saying, “It’s pointless because it’s over now. As far as Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai is concerned, yes, it holds a very special place in my filmography, and so does Joram. But I don’t engage in these discussions because they are meaningless. It’s in the past and should stay there.”
Manoj Bajpayee
Despite having already won four National Awards for acclaimed films like Satya, Pinjar, Gulmohar, and Bhosle, Bajpayee emphasized that awards are never his motivation. However, he did express concern about the functioning of award bodies. “It’s not only about the National Awards. Every award institution that was once respected should seriously reflect on how they are working. This isn’t about my respect. I guard my self-respect by carefully choosing my films, but these institutions must evaluate themselves. That’s not my responsibility,” he remarked.
Manoj Bajpayee
The actor further added that awards hold little personal significance for him. “For me, the idea of an award show itself feels unnecessary. Awards are like a small piece of decoration in your house. You don’t stand in front of it every day and say, ‘Wow, I achieved this,’” he explained. On the work front, Manoj Bajpayee was recently seen in Inspector Jhande and Jugnuma. He will next appear in the much-awaited web series The Family Man 3 and Ram Gopal Varma’s upcoming film Bhoot in Police Station.