Actor Amol Parashar has shared a candid anecdote about a conversation with Manoj Bajpayee during a 2013 film shoot in Hyderabad — one that reshaped his understanding of fame and the relationship between an actor and their most iconic role.

The Moment That Started It All

Parashar recalled that while shooting together in Hyderabad, a crowd gathered at the location upon learning Bajpayee was on set. Fans began calling out 'Bhiku! Bhiku!' — a reference to Bhiku Mhatre, Bajpayee's celebrated character from the 1998 cult crime drama 'Satya', directed by Ram Gopal Varma. This was well over a decade after the film's release and despite Bajpayee having delivered a string of acclaimed performances in the intervening years.

Intrigued by how the veteran actor might feel about being so persistently identified with a single character from his past, Parashar decided to ask directly. 'I asked him, 'Sir, don't you find it strange? You played Bhiku Mhatre 20-25 years ago. Since then, you've done so many incredible roles and characters. Yet people still remember and call you Bhiku Mhatre,'' Parashar said.

Bajpayee's Response: A Masterclass in Perspective

Bajpayee's answer, according to Parashar, was both disarming and profound. 'He told me that actors spend their entire careers trying to create an identity. We want audiences to remember us and our work. If a character has stayed in people's minds for so many years, why would I fight that? It is a privilege,' Parashar recalled.

The response, Parashar said, left a lasting impression — one that he would return to years later when he found himself in a strikingly similar situation.

How 'Tripling' Brought the Lesson Home

After the web series 'Tripling' became a significant success, Parashar found that audiences began associating him almost exclusively with his character Chitvan — a free-spirited, party-loving young man. Fans would approach him expecting to meet someone exactly like the character, and occasionally registered visible disappointment when the real Parashar turned out to be quite different.

'People would meet me thinking they were going to meet Chitvan. They expected someone who was always partying and having fun. Then they would realise that I am actually quite different. Sometimes I could even sense a little disappointment because I wasn't exactly like the character they loved,' he said.

It was in those moments, Parashar noted, that Bajpayee's words from 2013 came back to him with full force. 'That conversation happened before 'Tripling' came into my life. Later, when people started recognising me as Chitvan, I understood what Manoj sir meant. It is a privilege when a character becomes so memorable that people carry it with them for years,' he added.

What's Next for Amol Parashar

Beyond 'Tripling' and 'Chitvan', Parashar said he feels fortunate that audiences are now also connecting with his role as Dr Prabhat in 'Gram Chikitsalaya'. 'I feel lucky that people remember Chitvan, and now they are also talking about some of my other characters like Dr Prabhat from Gram Chikitsalaya. As an actor, that's all you can ask for,' he said.

Parashar, who has also appeared in the OTT series 'Home' and the Bollywood film 'Sardar Udham Singh', is currently gearing up for the second season of 'Gram Chikitsalaya'.