In his decade-long career, Manoj Bajpai has acted in several films and has gained much critical acclaim for them, especially for his portrayal of sensitive issues. But Manoj was still found struggling while shooting for Vikram Bhatt’s Lanka.
Manoj, apparently, was supposed to physically exploit a female character in the film, which was played by Tia Bajpai. But despite many retakes, he kept fumbling with his lines.
“Vikram and director Maqbool Khan both realised they had to be patient with Manoj, as the latter was uncomfortable doing the bold scene,” says our source. “It took him 22 retakes before I okayed the shot,” Maqbool adds.
A shy Manoj confirmed the news, adding that Tia was the one who helped him through it. “Tia was more confident than me; she was motivating me to do the scene. I get a bit conscious when asked to do bold scenes around a big crowd. Yes, it was difficult but I finally got the scene right.”