Manoj Bajpayee felt alone while receiving 3rd National Award; 'I missed my parents a lot'

The recently held 67th National Film Awards saw Manoj Bajpayee take away the Best Actor award for his performance in Bhonsle. The actor, who took away his 3rd National Award, stated that he missed his parents a lot while being on stage to bag the honour. In a conversation with Mid Day, the Family Man actor mentioned that he was 'feeling alone' since members of his family were absent from the event. 

Manoj, who lost his father Radhakant Bajpayee earlier this month due to prolonged illness, mentioned that the latter 'loved watching films'. He iterated that his father would keep a track of his accolades and feel proud whenever he bagged an honour. The ceremony felt 'more than a mixed bag of emotions' for the star. 

Manoj Bajpayee missed his family while receiving National Award

The actor also mentioned that his wife Shabana and daughter Ava Nayla were supposed to attend the ceremony with him. However, as he rushed from Kerala to make it in time, he couldn't take them along. Bajpayee's Bhonsle follows the story of a retired Mumbai police officer who forms a bond with a North Indian girl and her sibling, who, among other migrants, are targeted by local politicians. The film, which has been written and directed by Devashish Makhija and co-produced by Piiyush Singh, also stars Santosh Juvekar, Ipshita Chakraborty Singh and Abhishek Banerjee in pivotal roles. 

After his win, the actor uploaded photos from the ceremony as he posed with Dhanush, who also won the best actor award for his film Asuran. He was also seen conversing with superstar Rajinikanth, who received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Uploading the glimpses, he wrote, "Some moments with the greats during the national film awards ceremony[sic]."

On the work front, the actor will be seen in director Raam Reddy’s upcoming project along with Anu Behl’s thriller, titled Despatch. An investigative thriller, Despatch is set in the world of crime journalism. It will witness a direct-to-OTT release. Meanwhile, Bajpayee is also shooting for Abhishek Choubey’s Netflix film. Lauding Choubey's 'many great ideas' on approaching a scene, Bajpayee iterated that working with him feels like 'attending an acting workshop'. 

(IMAGE: INSTAGRAM/ @BAJPAYEE MANOJ/ TWITTER/ @MANOJ BAJPAYEE)