Manoj Bajpayee On Inter-Faith Marriage With Shabana Raza: There Were No Problems, Parents Were Broad-Minded

Manoj Bajpayee and former actor Shabana Raza got married in 2006, and it has been almost 18 years. Time and again, the actor has opened up about his inter-faith marriage and how he did not face much opposition from their families.

Now ahead of the release of his Netflix series ‘Killer Soup’, Manoj Bajpayee was questioned about the social pressure that he might have faced back in the day since they were from different faiths. To which, Manoj replied by saying that both his and Shabana’s families were quite broad-minded about their decision to tie the knot.

He shared with Jist, “There were no problems, because my parents were broad-minded and her parents were broad-minded too. That’s why we did not face any problems. Secondly, two people have to spend their life together. People who are wise, they never get in their way. People who are not wise, even God can’t help them.”

For those caught unaware, Shabana had starred in films in the 1990s, including ‘Kareeb’, ‘Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet’, and ‘Fiza’, among a few others. Back then, she was known by her screen name Neha. Manoj and Shabana met in the 1990s and got married in 2006.

Meanwhile, in an earlier chat with journalist Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Manoj mentioned how his marriage with Shabana was more about the values they share than their religion. He said, “I come from a Brahmin family, a feudal family. Her family had a lot of reputation and prestige to their name. But surprisingly, none of my family members ever objected to it. Never, till now.” The actor added, “She’s a proud Muslim, and I’m a proud Hindu, but it doesn’t clash with each other.”

In 2023, Manoj starred in films like ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’, ‘Gulmohar’ and ‘Joram’. He is now awaiting the release of ‘Killer Soup’.