‘I Don’t Make Films For Actor Like You’: Yash Chopra Told Manoj Bajpayee Before Veer Zaara

Manoj Bajpayee said that he starred in 'Veer Zaara' only to work with filmmaker Yash Chopra.

Manoj Bajpayee played the role of Zaara's fiancé in the film 'Veer Zaara'. ( Image Source :Twitter )

New Delhi: Manoj Bajpayee admitted that the only reason he played the part of Zaara's fiancé, Raza Sharazi, in the film 'Veer Zaara' was to work with the renowned filmmaker Yash Chopra. In the director's epic cross-border romance, the actor had the opportunity to work together with Yash Chopra once during his career.

The actor revealed that his role as Raza Sharazi was more of a cameo and that he barely spent four or five days on set.  Manoj said that, like the rest of the cast, Yash welcomed him to the set. He even said that the sets gave him a royal welcome. When the renowned filmmaker and politician Lal Krishna Advani watched the 2003 movie Pinjar together in Delhi, they were particularly impressed by Manoj's performance. 

Manoj recalled his conversation with Yash Chopra in an interview with Humans of Bombay.

"We grew up watching his films! We used to chat for long, both Yash ji and me. He was very clear in telling me, ‘I don’t make films for an actor like you, so I don’t think I would have anything else in the future, but this is very good and it will be great if you agree to do it.’ He was such a humble man," he said. 

He also talked about how the film gave him a chance to work with his old friend Shah Rukh Khan. "Shah Rukh, I have known for many years from my days in Delhi, so it was also a chance to catch up. Because we don’t meet up, we belong to two different kinds of films and filmmaking. So, it was a chance to catch up with him and also enjoy being on the sets of Mr. Yash Chopra, who had been such a magnificent, successful mainstream director for so many years," Manoj said. 

Shah Rukh Khan portrayed the Pakistani woman he falls in love with, Zaara, in the love story, and Preity Zinta played the Indian Air Force pilot Veer. 

Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee was last seen in the Disney+ Hotstar film, 'Gulmohar'. The film also starrer Sharmila Tagore and Suraj Sharma.