Mumbai: Manoj Bajpayee, who shared a close bond with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, recently opened up about their time working together and the advice he gave to Sushant, especially about surviving in the competitive world of Bollywood. In. Speaking to Mid-Day, Manoj reflected on Sushant’s untimely death in 2020, saying that no one really knows what happened to him, but his loss was extremely personal.
Manoj, who worked with Sushant in the film Sonchiriya, described him as a “moody man”, noting that many of his co-stars had similar qualities. However, he highlighted Sushant’s talent, saying that the late actor was an avid reader with extraordinary knowledge of quantum physics and spiritualism. He recalled that Sushant would often engage in deep, intellectual conversations, comparing the concepts of quantum physics to spirituality.
In his conversation, Manoj also shared his views on the challenges of the film industry. He recalled advising Sushant to develop a thick skin to deal with the harsh realities of Bollywood. “As far as the industry is concerned, we used to talk about the industry and its politics. I always told her not to have a thick skin, toh ye jaan maar doongi tumhari (otherwise they will take your life). I had thick skin because I’ve faced a lot of rejection. It was part of my life but many of my friends did not have such thick skin. They couldn’t face rejections like I could.”
Manoj explained that after facing many rejections at the beginning of his career, he has developed this resilience over the years. He said that while he learned to handle rejection, some of his friends, including Sushant, had to struggle with it.
Manoj expressed deep grief after Sushant’s demise, saying that this news affected him a lot, due to which he remained immersed in grief for three months. He noted that despite not being closely related, the loss felt very personal because of the bond that had formed between them while working together.
Manoj also talked about the ongoing mystery surrounding Sushant’s death. Despite widespread speculation and investigation, including the involvement of the CBI, Manoj stressed that no one really knows what caused his death, and he avoids jumping to any conclusions.
