It has not been easy for an actor to make a mark. Did you know that Manoj was rejected not once but thrice by his dream institute – the National School of Drama (NSD)? However, when he applied for the fourth time, he offered him a teaching position instead. He had quipped during an interaction with NDTV around the release of Naam Shabana and said, “It impressed me for the first time. After that it became a habit.’ Despite having three years of theater experience, when he first applied, he still didn’t make the cut.

File photo of Manoj Bajpayee
NSD had rejected thrice
He said, ‘The first time I was rejected, I didn’t have a plan B. This was the only wish when I was going to Delhi by train. After that it took me two months to get back to work. I started looking for some other avenues where I could learn my craft. As soon as I got that, I was at work. I just wanted to make up for the loss I had caused in the past. Next year I went for it again but by then I was very busy doing theater and I had a plan B.

Manoj Bajpayee file photo of
Manoj Bajpayee and his dream
Manoj’s ‘Naam Shabana’ co-star Taapsee Pannu asked him what made him go back to NSD for the fourth time. To this he said, ‘If you know the institute from inside, you know that it is one of the best in the world. Man, if I come to the institute somehow, if I get a chance, then my accommodation and food will also be taken care of. Taapsee then asked Manoj why he didn’t return for the fifth time, to which he said, ‘Because for the fourth time he offered me a job.’ When he applied for the fourth time he was offered a teaching position.

Manoj Bajpayee file photo of
Versatile Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj has indeed come a long way as he has been rejected many times in NSD. The last time he appeared in the Netflix film Mrs Serial Killer, as a man framed for serial murder, whose wife (played by Jacqueline Fernandez) goes to any lengths to watch him free, even if it means owning up. Want to know