Unbelievably believable

Actor Manoj Bajpai on his two icons: Amitabh Bachchan and Naseeruddin Shah
I was very young when I saw Amitabh Bachchan’s Zanjeer and it was then that I realised that I wanted to be an actor. His believable performance left quite an impression on me. I was also inspired by Naseeruddin Shah and his journey to cinema. I read an interview of his in a Hindi magazine decades ago in which he spoke about his journey from a small town to his relationship with theatre and cinema. I was mesmerised by his performances in the films Paar and Junoon because it was as if he was not acting. He was so real and still is.

The first time I met Bachchan was during the screening of Satya. I kept running away from him because I was very shy. Finally,I met him and he showered me with praises and blessings. I hugged him and that was such a great moment.
The first time I met Shah was during the post-shooting party of Bandit Queen. At that time,I used to drink and I was so excited to see him that I gulped three glasses of alcohol. He is such a gentleman,he spoke to me for a long time.
From these two icons,I learnt a lot,especially how to use and craft emotions. People also relate to my performances and find them believable.