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Manoj Bajpayee says he is always panicking before starting a new project, doesn't feel acting is 'easy' | Interview

Manoj Bajpayee talks to HT about reprising the role of Srikant Tiwari for The Family Man S3, and why acting is never easy for him.

Updated on: Nov 20, 2025, 13:43:01 IST
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Before The Family Man, Manoj Bajpayee had never reprised a role for the screen. All his film roles were one-offs, and he had not worked on a show with multiple seasons. But the success of The Family Man changed now. As the show’s third season is set for release, the actor spoke to HT about returning as Srikant Tiwari in the popular show and why he is ‘always panicking’ on set.

Manoj Bajpayee talks about his acting process and The Family Man S3.
Manoj Bajpayee talks about his acting process and The Family Man S3.

‘I am always panicking’

One would assume that for an actor of Manoj’s calibre, reprising a role would be a cakewalk. But it isn’t so. The actor explains, “I am not one to take my work for granted. I can’t achieve without working a bit too hard. I am a very nervous person, and I pass on my nerves to my directors.”

When asked if he doesn’t like doing things the easy way, Manoj replies, “I never think it’s easy; that is the problem. I am panicking all the time. I am nervous all the time.” The actor clarifies that this panic of catching a character's beat is not limited to The Family Man alone.

‘He wouldn't let his nerves show’

The Family Man co-creator Raj Nidimoru agrees. “I caught on to this much later,” he tells us, “Because he wouldn’t let this nervousness show. On set, he would crack jokes and be normal. But in his head, he would keep thinking and stressing. I realised it much later.”

Manoj says that in every season of The Family Man, he sits with the creators and directors to pick their brains for a good 15-20 minutes on set to get back to the character’s beat. “In the initial stages, it is a lot of struggle,” says the National Award winner.

About The Family Man S3

The Family Man S3 also brings back Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Ashlesha Thakur, Gul Panag, and Vedant Sinha. The new season also introduces Jaideep Ahlawat as the antagonist alongside Nimrat Kaur. Season 3 premieres on Amazon Prime Video on November 21.

  • Abhimanyu Mathur
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Abhimanyu Mathur

    Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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