Shah Rukh Khan's fans learnt that he had won the Best Actor National Award for Jawan, they celebrated greatly and congratulated him on social media. Some audience members, on the other hand, thought the choice was unjust and cited Manoj Bajpayee's much stronger performance in Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai as the reason he should have won.

Manoj Bajpayee Breaks Silence

Manoj has now responded to the comparisons to SRK and the latter's National Award victory.

He told India Today, “It is useless conversation because it is gone. When it comes to Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, yes, it is a very special film in my filmography and so was Joram. They are going to be on top of my filmography. But I don’t discuss these things because it is a very loser conversation. It is in the past and it should be left alone.”

Fans Compare SRK and Manoj Bajpayee’s Performances

Speaking about how National Awards are losing their relevance and moving more towards commercial cinema, Manoj, who is himself a National Award recipient in the past, shared his opinion and said, “It’s not just about national awards. It’s about all the awards that were revered. They should seriously think about how they are operating. Because it is not about my respect, I take care of my respect very cautiously when I’m choosing a film and I’m very responsible to the actor that I am. But each and every organisation have to think of themselves, that’s not my job. If somebody else is losing their respect, they should think about it.”

Because of the wide range of films and performances from different genres and languages, Manoj acknowledged that he does not even believe in the concept of an award show.

“I think for me, the idea of an award show is wrong,” he said. Manoj also explained that he attends award shows only out of respect for the organisers but does not take winning one too seriously. “It is just a piece of decoration in your house. Everyday you are not going to stand in front of it and say ‘wow, I got this’.”

His Past National Award Wins

Manoj has long been regarded as one of the best actors in Indian cinema, having previously won National Awards for Satya, Pinjar, and Bhonsle. His recent response demonstrates his realistic approach to honours and recognition, opting instead to concentrate on significant performances that enhance his body of work.