Actor Manoj Bajpayee had to wait for four years and face several small roles before achieving success with Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya. The film not only defined his career but also left a lasting impact on Bollywood and became one of the most influential Indian films. In a recent interview, Manoj revealed that the success of the film initially made him feel guilty and uncomfortable. It was Akshaye Khanna who helped him overcome these feelings, advising him not to feel guilty and accept his achievements.

The success of Satya brought Manoj nationwide fame and earned him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, he initially struggled to adjust to the sudden attention and success. Manoj recently shared that he felt out of place in five-star hotels and experienced impostor syndrome.

Akshaye Khanna helped him overcome this phase and advised him, “Manoj, why are you feeling so guilty about your success? Make it yours.” Manoj admitted that he felt uncomfortable with the newfound attention, having spent 25 years working without it.

talking to AfternoonManoj Bajpayee said, “You haven’t seen all this for so long and you’re not used to it. People ask me, ‘Are you comfortable with the attention you’re getting?’ No, how can I be? I’m so nice and polite to them, no, I didn’t get that attention for 25 years (by the time I became a star) everyone else was a star for about 30 years Till then they won’t know anything else.

In 2024, Manoj appeared in five projects including a streaming series, most of which were released directly on OTT platforms. Among them was The Fable, which premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and is awaiting public release. He also starred in the Netflix black comedy crime thriller series Killer Soup alongside Konkona Sen Sharma. His other films include Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout, Bhaiya Ji and Dispatch.