Manoj Bajpayee has come a really long way since his acting debut with a one-minute role in Govind Nihalani's Drohkaal (1994). The critically acclaimed actor has braved all the highs and lows in life and now he has opened up about going into depression and having fleeting suicidal thoughts after he was rejected admission to the National School of Drama. Bajpayee shared that he wanted to become an actor since he was in class five and had no plan B.
In a conversation with ANI, Bajpayee shared, “By the time I went to the National School of Drama (NSD), I had become quite experienced during those 3 years but still I was rejected. Following that for a duration of one month I felt like everything of mine has been taken away because I never had a Plan B. I never make a Plan B. After that for a month my friends supported me and got me out of depression and I started looking for a new path. Ultimately, in Mandi House, a theatre group of NSD alumni was doing a 365-day workshop, which I joined. I learned a lot there”. ALSO READ | Manoj Bajpayee Recalls When He Had No Money, Food As He Talks About Dark Phase Of His Life; Says, ‘Pata Nahi Hota Tha Ki Khaana Kaha Se Aayega’
Speaking about battling depression, Bajpayee shared, “I went into such a depression where I didn’t know how to face the near and dear ones. And when you only have one plan you feel as if all doors have been closed. It was during this time that I had a passing suicidal thought that people made headlines out of but that wasn’t the case, it was just a passing that people experience while depressed.”
On the professional front, Manoj was recently seen in Gulmohar and it is currently streaming on Disney Hotstar+ and also stars veteran actor Sharmila Tagore. Manoj plays the role of her son.
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