Manoj Bajpayee has revealed that he is a trained dancer who gave up his dream of becoming a dancer after seeing Hrithik Roshan perform. Satya, Manoj’s breakthrough film, was released in 1998, while ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai,’ Hrithik’s debut, was released in 2000.
Manoj recalled his days in the theater, where singing and dancing were required. He recalled his childhood and mentioned that he used to dance.
“Because I come from the theater, it used to be a requirement that an artist be able to sing. Even if you do not want to be a frontline singer, you must at least be a chorus singer. Haan, main naachta bhi tha (yes, I used to dance),” he told in a chat show.
The actor went on to say, “Main Chhau dance mein training hoon, aya na Hrithik. Maine Hrithik ko dekha toh maine kaha aaj ke baad dancing ka khwaab band kyuki ab ye nahi seekh sakta main (I’m trained in Chhau dance, but when Hrithik entered the industry and saw his performance, I told myself, ‘This is the end of my dream of dancing because I can’t learn this).”
When asked about his dance performance in Satya’s popular song ‘Sapne Me Milti Hai,’ Manoj stated that he had already done all of the dances he needed to do before Hrithik’s debut.
Manoj is getting ready for the release of his next film, ‘Gulmohar,’ directed by Rahul V Chittella. The story revolves around the Batras, a multigenerational family who are thrown for a loop when they are forced to leave their 34-year-old family home. Gulmohar, which will be released on March 3, also stars Suraj Sharma, Amol Palekar, Kaveri Seth, and Simran. Gulmohar, produced by Star Studios in collaboration with Chalkboard Entertainment and Autonomous Works, will be available digitally on Disney+ Hotstar. Concerning Gulmohar, Manoj recently stated, “The film has something for everyone. It will both choke you and make you laugh.”
