Manoj Bajpayee

Manoj Bajpayee, also credited as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi films and has also done Telugu and Tamil films. He is the recipient of three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards and two Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor. In 2019, he was given India’s fourth-highest civilian honor Padma Shri for his contributions to art.

Bajpayee made his feature film debut with a one-minute role in Drohkaal (1994), and a minor role of a dacoit in Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen (1994). After a few unnoticed roles, he played the gangster Bhiku Mhatre in Ram Gopal Varma’s 1998 crime drama Satya, which proved to be a breakthrough. Bajpayee received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for the film. He then acted in films such as Kaun (1999) and Shool (1999). For the latter, he won his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

Bajpayee won the Special Jury National Award for Pinjar (2003). He then played a greedy politician in the political thriller Raajneeti (2010), which was well received. In 2012, Bajpayee played Sardar Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur. His next roles were of a naxalite in Chakravyuh (2012), and a CBI officer in Special 26 (2013).