Bollywood Has ‘Ruined’ Talented Actors

Bollywood Actor Manoj Bajpayee has criticised the Hindi film industry for limiting talented performers through stereotyping, saying several gifted actors have been denied opportunities to showcase their abilities. Reflecting on his own career, the acclaimed actor said “I have always maintained that only 25 per cent of my acting abilities have been used; there’s a lot,”

Bajpayee made these remarks during an interview with Zoom while promoting his upcoming Netflix film Gajab Raat. He said Bollywood has repeatedly failed to recognise and nurture talent, with actors often being confined to particular kinds of roles and overlooked when they do not fit the industry’s expectations.

“Stereotyping is for many actors, and we have ruined talents just by doing that in this industry,” Bajpayee said. He added that the industry had developed a “bad reputation and bad karma” by diminishing talented performers through the roles they were offered and the treatment they received on film sets.

The actor also pointed out that many artists had eventually faded away without receiving the recognition they deserved. According to him, the problem extends beyond casting choices to the way performers are treated and the limited opportunities they get to demonstrate their range.

He credited the rise of streaming platforms with bringing significant changes to the entertainment industry. He also observed that audiences have become more engaged with storytelling and character development, often discussing performances and identifying flaws in a narrative.

Bajpayee’s latest project, Gajab Raat, is a thriller directed by Ritesh Shah and produced by Friday Film Works. The film also features Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta, Kiku Sharda, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Shraddha Das. It marks another collaboration between Bajpayee and filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s production banner, following their earlier work together.