MUMBAI: Known for his unconventional roles and unmatchable talent, Manoj Bajpayee is one of the most respected stars in the Hindi film industry. However, his journey to fame was no cakewalk.

At the age of nine, a Bihari boy coming from humble background knew that his life's goal was to be an actor. Before even becoming an adult, Manoj decided to pursue his dreams and moved to Delhi to do theatre secretly. While the hunger for success kept him going even on days, he didn't have enough money to afford a meal, there was a time when he even thought of committing suicide.

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Manoj once shared, "I’m a farmer’s son; I grew up in a village in Bihar with 5 siblings–we went to a hut school. We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, we’d go to the theatre. But I couldn’t afford to dream & continued my studies. Still, my mind refused to focus on anything else, so at 17, I left for DU.”

There, I did theatre but my family had no idea. Finally, I wrote a letter to dad–he wasn’t angry and even sent me Rs.200 to cover my fees.

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"I was an outsider, trying to fit in. So, I taught myself English & Hindi–Bhojpuri was a big part of how I spoke. I then applied to NSD but was rejected thrice. I was close to committing suicide, so my friends would sleep next to me & not leave me alone. They kept me going until I was accepted," he had said. 

Credit: Times Now