Manoj Bajpayee has a long friendship with superstar Shah Rukh Khan; although their paths have diverged, their friendship remains strong. In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, the Family Man 2 star revealed that they couldn’t afford to smoke a single cigarette.
Recalling a conversation with a Jawan actor from their play company, he added, “When you are in a theatre group, and someone is smoking, they would never smoke alone. No one would smoke one cigarette all by themselves because no one could afford it. So if anyone had one cigarette, they had to share it with four people.”
Manoj went on to say that even if they had the money to buy a whole cigarette or a packet, they couldn’t have one alone. “Even if he had the money to buy a pack of cigarettes or a single cigarette, he couldn’t afford to have it alone because others have shared it with him in the past and now it is his turn to share it.
Despite being an outsider, Shah Rukh Khan has become the most successful superstar; no one can equal his current status, and Manoj Bajpayee admires his journey. “Shah Rukh was with Barry, I was with Barry, at the same time. So many friends who were there that night, I am still in touch with them, still very good friends. Shah Rukh’s life has become different from us.”
Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee costarred in Yash Chopra’s Veer Zara.
