Looking back: Yash Chopra wanted Manoj Bajpayee to be part of “Veer-Zaar
Looking back: Yash Chopra wanted Manoj Bajpayee to be part of “Veer-Zaar
After Yash Chopra was much impressed with Manoj Bajpayee’s performance in Pinjar that he requested him to be a part of the cross-border romance Veer-Zaara.
The film featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta in the title roles as Indian Air Force officer Veer Pratap Singh and Pakistani free-spirited girl Zaara Hayaat Khan, respectively, Veer-Zaara was the second last film directed by Yash Chopra.
The film released in 2004, the cross-border romance won the hearts of the audiences and critics, and turned out to be a blockbuster earning Rs 105 crore gross worldwide.
Besides Shah Rukh and Preity, Veer-Zaara had a highly talented ensemble cast featuring Rani Mukerji, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Divya Dutta, Anupam Kher, Tom Alter, Zohra Sehgal, Boman Irani, and Kirron Kher among others.
Manoj Bajpayee, who celebrated his 55th birthday on April 23, 2024, played Preity Zinta’s fiancee Raaza Shirazi in a guest appearance in Veer-Zaara.
Opening up on his experience of working with the legendary filmmaker, Manoj Bajpayee revealed in one of his interaction with the media he the film because Yash Chopra called him up and requested him. to be a part of it.
He was a big fan of his performance in Pinjar and once he saw the film in Delhi with Lal Krishna Advani ji, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, he was thoroughly impressed with his performance. That’s when he thought of offering him this role.
It was a guest appearance and be shot only for four-five days. Yash Chopra treated him.ass good as anyone on the sets. I was welcomed so royally in that film family, the Veer Zaara family. He enjoyed every moment of shooting with Yash Chopra and they used to chat for long and both .
Yash was very clear in telling Manoj that he doesn’t make films for an actor 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.
Manoj Bajpayee never got an opportunity to work with Yash Raj Films again in his career, and Veer-Zaara remains his first and last film with the production house, which is now headed by late Yash Chopra’s son Aditya Chopra.
News Edit K.V.Raman
