Every day, countless people travel to Mumbai with the dream of being an actor, but only a few of them can make the cut. Recently, Manoj Bajpayee recalled his struggle in Mumbai when he tried to make a name for himself in the industry but dealt with ‘starvation’ and health challenges and was ‘chased out by production people,’ making the situation more difficult. 

Manoj Bajpayee recently sat down with entrepreneur Ritesh Agarwal for Mint and recalled his struggle in Mumbai. The actor, who earlier resided in Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi, revealed he used to stay in small rooftop rooms (Barsati) where they faced difficult times with extreme heat in summer and chilly winter seasons. 

Recalling the same, he said, “The only advantage of a barsati is that they are cheap. But it used to get extremely hot in the summers and extremely cold in the winters. If the temperature outside was 40 degrees, it would feel like 45 degrees inside. It was hell.”

Despite the harsh living conditions, Bajpayee continued to face the challenges because he was pursuing acting in the National School of Drama (NSD). His dedication to improving his craft kept him going, and his friends paid or arranged for his meals to ensure he didn’t sleep without having food. 

He mentioned, “Theatre didn’t pay me, but it kept me busy. I worked for 18 hours. And I never slept hungry, thanks to my friends. Even if I missed lunch, my friends would share half their chapati with me.”

However, the situation became more severe when he shifted to Mumbai without money and went from one studio to another for auditions. The lack of work left him without food. Moreover, he felt low physically and emotionally while dealing with all the struggles. 

“I would starve the whole day. Production people would chase us out when we would approach them for work,” he shared.

Despite the challenges, the Gangs Of Wasseypur actor didn’t give up and found an innovative way to find food. He used to visit film sets just before lunch and find someone he knew on set. As a result, the person used to invite him for meals and didn’t have to starve. 

After enduring all these struggles, Manoj Bajpayee has successfully established himself in the industry with stellar performances in films like Satya, Sirf Ek Bandaa, Gulmohar, and Satyameva Jayati. His journey from a small village in Bihar to success inspires many aspiring actors who dream of making it big in Bollywood.

A couple of days back, producer Shailendra Singh in an interview announced the sequel to 2008-cult comedy, Singh Is Kinng. The maker also revealed that Singh Is Kinng 2 will be made without the OG leading man, Akshay Kumar, as he intends to cast either Ranveer Singh or Diljit Dosanjh in the titular role. The news spread like wildfire and also led to a sense of disappointment from the lovers of the first film, who wanted the OG leading man to carry forward the franchise. And now, Pinkvilla has a good-news for all the Akshay Kumar and Singh Is Kinng Fans.

According to sources close to the development, Akshay Kumar’s banner holds 50 percent of the IP for Singh Is Kinng, which means that a sequel to this cult comedy can’t be made without his involvement. “Akshay Kumar owns 50 percent of the IP for Singh Is Kinng. Anyone who wishes to make a part two has to make it with Akshay or needs a NOC from his end to roll without his involvement. Akshay and his team are in no mood to part ways with the rights of Singh Is Kinng and will make a part two when they find a banging script for the same,” revealed a source close to the development.

The source further clarified that Singh Is Kinng 2 can’t be made without Akshay Kumar’s involvement, as being the owner of 50 percent IP, his consent is a must to spin it in a franchise. “The comic franchises in the time to come – from Jolly LLB to Welcome, Housefull & Bhagam Bhag – would be a return gift from his end for all the love over the years,” the source informed.

An official from Akshay Kumar’s legal team confirmed the news saying, “Mr. Akshay Kumar is the co-owner of the film, Singh is Kinng (“Film”) and all the rights, title, interest, etc. of the Film. Any assertions, statements, claims, etc., made by Mr. Shailendra Singh, in the article published in the newspaper, Mid-day on 11th November, 2024, with respect to the Film, are entirely false and untrue. Neither does Mr. Shailendra Singh nor does any other person have any right to produce any prequels or sequels or franchise, etc. to the Film.”

Singh Is Kinng released in 2008 and proved to be a record opener for Akshay Kumar. Even today, the film continues to be in the pop culture with dialogues and music standing the test of times. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.