JOIN USHappy birthday Manoj Bajpayee: When the actor teamed up with Pawan Kalyan for a Telugu movie
Actor Manoj Bajpayee is widely regarded as one of the finest performers in the Hindi film industry. The star, who became a household name because of his work in the gangster drama Satya, enjoys a strong fan following due to his impressive screen presence and engaging performances. While almost everyone is aware of his accomplishments in Bollywood, not many know that he once played the villain opposite Telugu star Pawan Kalyan in the movie Puli (previously titled Komaram Puli).
The film was directed by Tamil actor-director SJ Surya and featured the 'Power Star' in the role of a police officer, who tries to rid his city of crime. 'Bhiku Maatre' essayed the role of the stylish villain Al Saleem. The cast included Nikeesha Patel, Nassar, the late Girish Karnad, Ali and Shriya Saran. Puli generated a fair deal of buzz prior to its release but failed to live up to expectations.
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Coming to the present, Bajpayee is going through a busy phase on the work front and was last seen in the 'direct to OTT' film Silence. The thriller featured him in the role of a cop and received rave reviews for its presentation. It had a star-studded cast that included Prachi Desai and Arjun Mathur of Made in Heaven fame. Bajpayee will next be seen in the eagerly-awaited web series The Family Man Season 2. It was expected to release on Amazon Prime Video earlier this year but that did not happen. The perception is that the show was delayed due to the controversy surrounding the platform's series Tandav.
Pawan Kalyan, on the other hand, was last seen in the well-received Vakeel Saab. The film was a remake of the Bollywood hit Pink and highlighted the importance of consent.
He has the Krish-helmed period drama Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which features him in the role of an outlaw, and the Telugu remake of the Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum in his kitty.