Long before Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Raaz became household names in Bollywood, they were just two struggling actors trying to find their footing in theatre. Manoj Bajpayee, who shared those early days with them, recently took a walk down memory lane and dropped a hilarious anecdote about their humble beginnings.
When Trees Took Center Stage
Manoj recalled that Nawazuddin and Vijay once walked into a major theatrical production hoping for roles, but the director had nothing left to offer. With no parts available, the director reportedly suggested they could be trees since the play needed them. The two future stars ended up standing on stage as trees for nearly two and a half hours, along with six other actors who were also cast as foliage.
The anecdote, shared during a candid chat, painted a vivid picture of how unpredictable theatre life can be. Even stars have to start somewhere, even if that somewhere is rooted to the ground.
The Hard Work That Made Them Second-Guess Acting
Manoj also revealed that his intense rehearsals left Nawazuddin and Vijay questioning their career choice. He laughed as he recalled how the duo would watch him rehearse non-stop all day and wonder if acting really required that much effort. According to Manoj, Nawazuddin later told him that he and Vijay would go out and discuss whether they should just pack up and go back home because, as they put it, ‘ye aadmi itni gadha majduri kar raha hai’ (this man is working so hard).
The irony isn’t lost—Nawazuddin and Vijay were spending hours as immobile trees while Manoj wore himself out with rehearsal. But that grind clearly paid off for all three.
A Director’s ‘Panauti’ Moment
Manoj also shared another funny incident involving the director of that play. It turns out Nawazuddin and Vijay accidentally became a source of bad luck—or panauti, as Manoj put it—for the director. While passionately giving directions during a rehearsal, the director once collided with the two tree-actors and fell, fracturing his arm so badly that screws had to be inserted. For the rest of the play’s run, he directed with one hand, and everyone teased him that those two guys were his personal panauti.
Despite the chaos, those early theatre days forged a lifelong bond between the trio. Manoj spoke warmly about how they traveled together, stayed in the same halls, and ate at the same mess or hotel. The three might have started as trees, but they grew into Bollywood icons together.