Manoj joins Ash in her comeback vehicle
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 27, 2014)

Manoj Bajpayee, who wowed fans with his performance as a bloodthirsty goon in Gangs of Wasseypur, is now getting ready to play a gangster in Sanjay Gupta's Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Irrfan Khan-Shabana Azmi starrer Jazbaa.

Ironically, Manoj was earlier cast as a gangster in Gupta's Mumbai Saga but that film has been put on hold (Mirror, September 27).

In Jazbaa, Manoj will have most of his scenes with Aishwarya. Says a source, "Manoj's role is not a long one, but it's an important part.

Apart from Aishwarya, he has scenes with the remaining members of the cast too."

The modalities are fast being worked out. The film is expected to go on floors in January 2015.

When contacted, Gupta said, "Manoj is an intense performer and is like family to me. We are working on the details, but he is yet to sign the film though."

Aishwarya (returning to the big screen after four years) plays a lawyer in the film, while Irrfan dons the role of a suspended cop and Shabana Azmi plays his mother, a professor. John Abraham has an important cameo in the film which also stars Shraddha Kapoor's brother Siddhanth, who essays a mental patient.