A Padma Shri recipient, two-time National Award winner and with four Filmfare Awards to his credit, Manoj Bajpayee is one of the finest actors Bollywood has ever produced. He is the man who lends ‘act’ to the word ‘actor’ in every role that he performs. He has an innate ability that makes him ‘own’ every role that he plays, so much so that sometimes you forget the name of the film but remember his character’s name.

Manoj started off with brief roles in films and was largely known for ruling daily soaps like Imtihaan and Swabhimaan. However, things took a positive turn when Ram Gopal Varma roped him in a brief and comic role in Daud that led to him being cast as Bhiku Mhatre in Satya that emerged as the turning point in his career. On the actor’s 51^st birthday today, here’s a look at some of the stellar roles that only he can do justice to.

Satya

Manoj’s repertoire will always have his iconic act as Bhiku Mhatre in Satya. The film not only brought him to the limelight but also earned him his first National Film Award. His performance left an indelible mark on the film and even though he wasn’t the main lead he stole the show with his spirited performance. Manoj who has trademarked restrained acts in his subsequent films gave an unabashed and spirited performance in the films. His portrayal is so iconic that the dialogue, ‘Mumbai Ka King Kaun, Bhiku Mhatre’ has become legendary and lore of popular culture.

Kaun

One of the landmark films of Ram Gopal Varma, Kaun saw Manoj give an eerie and unsettling performance as Sameer A Purnavale. As an annoying, unwanted house guest with pestering questions and refusal to leave, Manoj brought the desired creepy effect to the psychological thriller that had Urmila Matondkar in an equally fine and subtle role.

Shool

Shool was a revelation in the myriad cop films that Bollywood has produced over the years. Manoj played an honest cop caught in the corrupt system. The film did not show him as over-the-top larger-than-life cop neither was it a very violent drama. Shool was a highly realistic and major part of the film is a masterpiece that it is rested on Manoj’s able shoulders. His restrained performance was devoid of loud gestures, vociferous and verbose dialogues and no exaggerated heroics. By the end of the film, one could actually feel his pain and struggle with the corrupt system and that is something that only a superlative actor can provide.

Aks

Imagine being cast opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan in a film and stealing the limelight away from him. That’s exactly what Manoj did in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s directorial Aks. He played the role of Raghavan Ghatge, a criminal who dies and is reincarnated n the body of Manu Verma (played by Amitabh Bachchan). His stellar act in the supernatural thriller earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role nomination.

Pinjar

It is extremely seldom that you start feeling for the perpetrator in a Hindi film. Usually our films always have starkly white and black characters. However, in Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s directorial based on Amrita Pritam’s novel of the same name. Although there have been several films based on the Indo-Pakistan partition, few nailed the humane and the hopelessness of the situation the way Pinjar did. Manoj reunited with Urmila once again and brings to life the angst-ridden abductor who is nowed down by his own guilty conscience and torn by love for the woman he abducts. Manoj gives another restrained and matured performance and even though you momentarily hate him for bringing such strife to the female protagonist’s life you can’t help rooting for him to have a happy ending with her. Pinjar earned him the National Film Special Jury Award for his performance.

Raajneeti

Another stellar act, that too in an ensemble cast. Playing the role of Duryodhan in this screen adaptation of Mahabharat, Manoj lit up the screen with his presence, dialogue delivery and evil-mindedness. Manoj gave everyone right from Nana Patekar to Ranbir Kapoor to Ajay Devgn to Arjun Rampal a run-for-their-money in this stellar act. The character of Veerendra Pratap was as complex as it comes and who better to portray the dichotomy of misplaced sense of entitlement that was needed to be portrayed than Manoj.

Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1

In a film that boasted of riveting performances by a relatively unknown star cast at the time, Manoj lead from the front. Gangs of Wasseypur not only brought Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s acting prowess to the forefront but also cemented Anurag Kashyap’s place as a director par excellence. However, it was Manoj’s portrayal of Sardar Khan that took everyone’s breath away. He was evil, he was funny, he was charismatic and he justified his sense of revenge. His mannerisms, his dialogues and his appearance was far removed from what we had seen so far. Manoj completely owned the character of Sardar Khan and this is one act that we hope no one ever dares to remake. His dialogue of ‘Keh Ke Lunga’ is what legends are made of and is used in real-life scenarios as well when you’re hell-bent on making someone pay for their sins.

Special 26

Special 26 saw Manoj pit his wits against Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher. The film directed by Neeraj Pandey was a heist thriller and had Manoj playing CBI officer Waseem Khan. The film was taut, gripping and had stellar acts by all the leads including Jimmy Sheirgill and Divya Dutta. With only Manoj playing the man out to nab the culprits, your heart yearns for him to see some success, but in a heist film the criminals are the heroes and ultimately succeed in hoodwinking the authorities.

Aligarh

Much before Sonam Kapoor took on a homosexual role in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, it was Manoj who brought an inherent vulnerability combined with a subtle dignity to biopic film Aligarh. Playing the role of Professor Siras, Manoj brought his struggles, stigma and persecution to life on celluloid. His raw performance makes a deep impact and his portrayal not only shocks or impresses you but leaves you hurt, anguished and crying with the unfairness and cruelty of people and the society we live in. Manoj makes you feel the pain of Prof. Ramchandra Siras, a professor of Marathi and the head of the Classical Modern Indian Languages Faculty at the famed Aligarh Muslim University, who was suspended on grounds of morality. Hansal Mehta’s poignant film is not only an important film for Bollywood but also for society and nobody could have portrayed the role better than Manoj.

The Family Man

Manoj appeared in the spy action drama web series The Family Man, directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK in which he played the role of a middle-class man who secretly works for an intelligence agency oblivious to the knowledge of his family members. The series and his performance spattered with amazing comic timing as well as gritty cop demeanour won him accolades and lots of praise from critics as well as fans. Manoj, as usual, was effortless and on point with his act in the series.

Here’s wishing the actor who was never given a place in the National School of Drama as a student but was later offered a position to teach a very Happy Birthday.