National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee recently looked back on some of his most memorable experiences from working on the iconic romantic drama ‘Veer-Zaara’. The actor recalled shooting for the film alongside director Yash Chopra and revealed that he had no expectations from his relatively small role, even though he was thrilled to be part of the much-anticipated Shah Rukh Khan starrer.Bajpayee shared the memories during an interview with Divya Dutta and director Ben Rekhi in Mumbai’s Andheri West while promoting their upcoming film ‘Last Man in Tower’.

Manoj Bajpayee recalls shooting for ‘Veer-Zaara’ in Amritsar and Film City

Speaking to IANS, Bajpayee recalled that he spent only a few days shooting for ‘Veer-Zaara’, with portions filmed at Film City and in Amritsar.“I enjoyed myself while working on that film. For three days I was there on the sets of the film. One day at Film City and two days in Amritsar. So, it was quite good. I shot those two, three sequences that I had,” he said.For Bajpayee, however, the biggest highlight was getting an opportunity to work with Yash Chopra, a filmmaker he had long admired.“The biggest advantage was that I was working for Mr. Yash Chopra. I always wanted to work with him,” he said.The actor also recalled Chopra being candid with him about the kind of films he made and the roles he typically offered.“But he told me very honestly that he doesn’t make films for actors like me. And he was very candid about it. I didn’t mind it at all because there’s somebody that honest, and a man of that stature. You just love him for his honesty,” Bajpayee recalled.

Manoj Bajpayee says he had no expectations from his ‘Veer-Zaara’ role

Despite the film’s enormous anticipation and its star-studded cast, Bajpayee said he approached his role without expecting it to become particularly significant.“He didn’t promise me anything. But I was very happy just facing the camera under his direction. So, I got a few days to spend with him,” he said.The actor also remembered the warmth he received from Chopra during the Amritsar schedule. According to Bajpayee, the filmmaker went out of his way to make him feel welcome.“He took great care of me in terms of my food, the party, everything. He just treated me with so much warmth,” he recalled.Bajpayee further admitted that he was “expecting nothing from the role” given that ‘Veer-Zaara’ was a Yash Chopra film featuring a major superstar and was already one of the most anticipated releases at the time.“He got everybody together to party with me in the evening in Amritsar saying, ‘Manoj is a guest’. So, everybody should be really there,” he recalled.

Manoj Bajpayee’s role in ‘Veer-Zaara’

Released in 2004, ‘Veer-Zaara’ starred Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as star-crossed lovers separated by the India-Pakistan divide, with Rani Mukerji playing a pivotal role in the story.Bajpayee portrayed a police officer who arrests and subsequently plays a role in the imprisonment of Shah Rukh Khan’s character, Veer Pratap Singh, on charges of spying. Although his screen time was limited, Bajpayee’s appearance in the film remains one of the memorable supporting performances in the Yash Chopra classic.