Manoj Bajpayee won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role, but at another awards ceremony that year, he was snubbed for Salman Khan in the same category. The year was 1998, and Manoj was nominated for Satya and Salman for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Speaking to Pinkvilla, Manoj recalled what happned exactly the moment when Salman's name was announced as the winner. 

What Manoj said

During the conversation, Manoj recalled the awards ceremony and said, “Ismein bohot badi sachai hai kyunki humlog the waha pe. Aur jab naam announce hua tha toh jitne log the waha pe sab naraaz hogaye the. Log khade ho kar chilla re the 'Bhiku Mhatre'. (There is a lot of truth in this because we were there. And when the name was announced, many were angry, and people were standing up and shouting 'Bhiku Mhatre' (Manoj's character in Satya)).”

'Pata nai mujhe kyun diya'

He further continued, “It was very gracious of Salman Khan ki wo stage pe gaye aur unhone bola ki 'pata nai mujhe kyun diya, yeh deserve toh Manoj karta hai. Aur yeh bolne ke liye bohot hi large-hearted hona padta hai and Salman did that. I really felt good ki industry mein kuch aese log bhi hai (It was very gracious of Salman Khan to go on stage and say that I don't know why it was given to me, Manoj deserves it. And to say this, one has to be very large-hearted, and Salman did that. I really felt good that there are also such people in the industry)."

Manoj starred as the gangster Bhiku Mhatre in Ram Gopal Varma's Satya, which is still regarded by many as one of the finest performances in the actor's career. The film starred J. D. Chakravarthy, Urmila Matondkar, Shefali Shah, and Saurabh Shukla. Manoj will be next seen in Bhaiyya Ji.

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