Manoj Bajpayee

Manoj Bajpayee, also spelled Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who works mainly in Hindi cinema and is counted among the finest actors in Indian film. He is best known for the crime drama Satya, Gangs of Wasseypur and the thriller series The Family Man. He has won four National Film Awards, and in 2019 the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri. Bajpayee began with small roles in Drohkaal and Bandit Queen, both in 1994. His breakthrough came as a gangster in Ram Gopal Varma's Satya (1998), which won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He followed it with Kaun? (1999), Shool (1999) and Pinjar (2003), which earned him a Special Jury National Award. After a quieter phase, Raajneeti (2010) brought him back, and his lead role in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) won wide acclaim. Chakravyuh (2012), Special 26 (2013) and Aligarh (2016) came next. His later work includes Bhonsle (2018), The Family Man (2019), Sonchiriya (2019), Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (2023), Joram (2023), Killer Soup (2024), Bhaiyya Ji (2024) and Inspector Zende (2025). Bajpayee is known for his range, playing gangsters, a Naxalite, a CBI officer and a gentle professor in Aligarh. He has appeared in over 70 films. His honours include the National Film Award for Best Actor for Bhonsle, four Filmfare Awards including Best Actor for Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, two Asia Pacific Screen Awards and a Filmfare OTT Award for The Family Man.