Manoj Bajpayee Talks About His Marriage To Shabana Raza

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has revealed that people have never had the courage to speak to him about their objections to his marriage to Shabana Raza. Bajpayee and Raza tied the knot in 2006, years after they first met at a party. He was asked whether he faced societal or family pressure for marrying Raza. Bajpayee said that none of his family members had ever objected to their union. This was despite him coming from a Brahmin family and Raza from a reputed family. He added that both he and his wife are more spiritual than religious. He said that their pride in their respective religions doesn't clash with each other.

Bajpayee emphasized that he does not take kindly to people talking ill about communities or religions, even among friends. Although he used to have a temper, he finds it embarrassing when friends such as filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Hansal Mehta bring it up. In fact, Bajpayee's reputation for having a short fuse is why people refrain from making such statements to his face. Bajpayee shared in his biography, "Manoj Bajpayee- Kuch Paane Ki Zid," that when he first saw Raza, her simplicity caught his attention. He noticed her at a party hosted by Hansal Mehta, where she had no makeup on her face, had oil in her hair, and was wearing glasses. Raza, also known as Neha Bajpayee, has worked in films such as "Kareeb" (1998).