Manoj Bajpayee Recalls Working With Yash Chopra In Shah Rukh Khan And Preity Zinta Starrer ‘Veer-Zaara’: ‘He Didn’t Promise Me Anything But He Was Very Happy Just In Front Of The Camera’ |

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee recently recalled some of his most memorable experiences working in the iconic romantic drama ‘Veer-Zaara’. The actor recalled filming the film alongside director Yash Chopra and revealed that he had no expectations from his relatively small role, even though he was excited to be a part of the much-awaited Shah Rukh Khan starrer.Bajpayee shared the memories during an interview with Divya Dutta and director Ben Rekhi at Mumbai’s Andheri West while promoting his upcoming film ‘Last Man in Tower’.

Manoj Bajpayee remembers shooting ‘Veer-Zaara’ in Amritsar and Film City

Speaking to IANS, Bajpayee recalled that he spent just a few days filming ‘Veer-Zaara’, with portions shot in Film City and Amritsar.“I enjoyed working on that film. I spent three days on the set of the film. One day in Film City and two days in Amritsar.

So, it was pretty good. “I filmed those two, three sequences that I had,” he said.For Bajpayee, however, the highlight was getting the opportunity to work with Yash Chopra, a filmmaker he had long admired.“The biggest advantage was that I was working for Yash Chopra sir. I always wanted to work with him,” he said.The actor also recalled that Chopra was honest with him about the type of films he did and the roles he usually offered.“But he told me very honestly that he doesn’t make films for actors like me. And he was very sincere about it. I didn’t mind at all because there is someone so honest and a man of that stature. You love him for his honesty,” Bajpayee recalled.

Manoj Bajpayee says he had no expectations about his ‘Veer-Zaara’ role

Despite the huge hype for the film and its star-studded cast, Bajpayee said he approached his role without expecting it to be particularly significant.“He didn’t promise me anything, but I was very happy just looking at the camera under his direction.

So I had a few days to spend with him,” he said.The actor also recalled the warmth he received from Chopra during the Amritsar schedule. According to Bajpayee, the filmmaker went out of his way to make him feel welcome.“He took great care of me in terms of the food, the party, everything. He just treated me very warmly,” she recalled.Bajpayee further admitted that he “wasn’t expecting anything from the role” given that ‘Veer-Zaara’ was a Yash Chopra film starring a top superstar and was already one of the most anticipated releases at that time.“He gathered everyone for a party with me at night in Amritsar and said, ‘Manoj is a guest’. So everyone should be there,” he recalled.

Manoj Bajpayee’s role in ‘Veer-Zaara’

Released in 2004, ‘Veer-Zaara’ starred Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta like star-crossed lovers separated by the division between India and Pakistan, with Rani Mukerji playing a fundamental role in the story.Bajpayee played a police officer who arrests and subsequently plays a role in the imprisonment of Shah Rukh Khan’s character Veer Pratap Singh on charges of espionage. Although his screen time was limited, Bajpayee’s appearance in the film remains one of the memorable supporting performances in Yash Chopra’s classic.