Manoj Pahwa OPENS UP on Alia Bhatt's Jigra Box Office Failure: 'Afsos hota hai ki yaar, yeh toh itna mazedar….

Manoj Pahwa had a stellar year in 2024, captivating audiences with his roles in the Netflix thriller IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and the Alia Bhatt-led drama Jigra. However, the veteran actor understands that success in showbiz is far from guaranteed. 

In an open conversation with SCREEN, Pahwa delved into the unpredictable nature of the industry, acknowledging that even powerful performances don't always translate to commercial success. "It's a reality we all have to accept," he said, reflecting on the fact that a film's box office performance is not solely dependent on the quality of its acting.

Despite his efforts to maintain emotional distance from box office figures, Pahwa confessed to experiencing regret, particularly when films he declined end up achieving remarkable success.

Despite delivering one of his most personal and powerful performances in Jigra, Manoj Pahwa acknowledged that the film didn't resonate with audiences commercially.

It’s not the first time this has happened. There have been several occasions where films with incredible performances never even got released. Woh release hi nahi ho pati (They just don’t get a release). I try to move on once I’ve wrapped a project. Whether it does well or not—I try not to dwell on it

- Manoj Pahwa

He admitted that some of his most fulfilling roles have never made it to the big screen. “I’ve acted in many films I believed in, but unfortunately, they never made it to the audience. It’s quite common in our industry."

“There are projects you say no to for various reasons. And when they go on to do well, you feel a pang of regret. On the flip side, you also take on films that don’t turn out the way you’d hoped. Afsos hota hai ki yaar, yeh toh itna mazedar nahi bana (You do feel bad that it didn’t turn out well)."

Manoj Pahwa, a seasoned actor with a career spanning over four decades, approaches his craft with the meticulousness of a craftsman. He focuses on the process, not the outcome. “When you’ve been doing something for so long, you stop thinking in terms of ‘easy’ or ‘difficult’. If you ask a carpenter to build a table, he won’t hesitate—it’s his job. That’s how I see acting. We’re trained to adapt to new characters, to switch roles. Fear doesn’t enter the equation," he said, exuding the quiet confidence of a veteran who has weathered the storms of the industry and continues to show up, script after script.