Shabana Raza Bajpayee, professionally known as Neha, stole hearts with her innocent portrayal in films like Kareeb and Fiza. Married to Manoj Bajpayee and mother to 13-year-old Ava, Shabana is back in the movie business after a 15-year hiatus, now as a producer. She says she is open to acting parts too, provided they have some substance. Excerpts from a conversation with the couple.

Shabana: I was a hands-on mom until a year ago. Our daughter Ava is now in boarding school, so I have the time and mind space to consider other things. I was offered roles even when the OTT space came into focus, but I chose not to take them up. I thought that if I were to come back as an actor, it had to be something special. There was a time when Manoj wanted to do a certain kind of films and I told him why we don’t go ahead and produce those, so that we can follow our heart. Manoj was a little uncertain, but this progression was organic.

Manoj: I felt that she deserves to do good work. I firmly believed that the offers she got had to justify her presence, and it shouldn’t look like a desperate comeback. A few big directors had approached her, but the roles they offered weren’t flattering. It was as if they were doing her a favour and we weren’t okay with that.

Shabana: After my marriage, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I decided I had to have a child before she passed away. Fortunately, she lived for many years after that and got to spend time with Ava. Back then, that was my priority. Of course, I regret missing out. When Ava was three, I did have this feeling that I wanted to work and it’s normal to feel that regret of missing out. But who was going to take care of Ava? People outside the industry don’t understand that an actor is out there working for 14-15 hours a day! One of us had to stay at home. We planned the baby, but we didn’t plan what’s next. I wanted her grandparents to spend time with her without looking at her as a responsibility, so I chose to be with her.

Did I feel like I missed out on my prime as an actress? 100%. Would I have done it differently? No! I just have one child and she means the world to us.

Manoj: We met at director Hansal Mehta’s party. She was there because of the late Rajat Mukherjee, who directed me later on. I made the first move. She was always pretty. I just don’t say it too much. Most people who knew her spoke about her beauty to me without any shame that they were talking to her husband (laughs). I love the way she has raised our daughter. She is a voracious reader. We always discuss movies with each other.

Shabana: We both are introverts. I can become an extrovert selectively; Manoj finds it hard.

We tend to be in our own space. He socializes only with select people. He is not a filmy romantic, but he is romantic. If I ask him to get a lily, he gets a bunch.

Shabana: Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave me the name Neha. The decision was purely commercial. My screen character’s name in Kareeb was Neha, hence the decision. It hypes the film to say introducing Neha as Neha. Was I okay with it? I didn’t care either way at that point. I am Shabana, but if I am walking down the street and someone calls me Neha, I will turn around.

Manoj: I never liked the idea of changing names. Even I thought of changing my name long back when I entered the movies. I was told Manoj is a common name. I wanted to change my real name to Samar, but I didn’t, so I gave it to my character in Shool.

Manoj Bajpayee is a family man, and we are not talking about his popular web show by the same name. He prefers to celebrate his birthdays (April 23) with his family, minus any parties or work.

“I don’t celebrate my birthday; I spend time with my wife (actor Shabana Raza) and daughter (Ava). Only once did I have a party (his 50th birthday), which was organized by my wife. I was quite exhausted and embarrassed about it. I don’t feel comfortable with this whole birthday situation. I do it for my daughter, who finds an occasion to celebrate, it’s for the family,” he makes it clear.

The 53-year-old, who was recently seen in the film Gulmohar (2023) with actor Sharmila Tagore, recalls when he had to go out for parties, during his struggling days in the film industry. “Initially, post Satya (1998), I couldn’t say no to the parties, I was not in that position. After so many years now, people have gotten used to me. I like to stay at home, sleep and wake up early,” he says.

Does the fact about growing old bother him, since numbers matter in an actor’s life? “It doesn’t play on my mind. Even if it does on anyone’s, how does it matter? Anyone who is born has to grow old and die. You just pray you keep getting choices and keep doing all the things with freedom. That’s all that matters,” quips Bajpayee.

Over the past week, Manoj Bajpayee and wife Neha have been quarantining at their Andheri home, their daughter Ava Nayla a few rooms away. The actor, 51, who tested Coronavirus positive last week, says his first priority is to ensure his daughter’s safety. “She is kept away from us in the same house. It has been a difficult time for us, knowing that we have our little one at home,” he says.

Bajpayee was shooting for Kanu Behl’s Despatch when he was diagnosed with the virus. The film’s shoot was immediately brought to a halt. Only a few days earlier, the director too was down with the infection. One to believe in being safe rather than sorry, the actor says he practiced caution over the past few months as he dubbed for The Family Man 2 and filmed Despatch. “I have followed protocols to the T. I have given dates to people shooting back-to-back. I feel frustrated when this happens [not because of] my fault, but due to somebody else’s carelessness.”

Currently on the road to recovery, he emphasises the need to stay vigilant. “We don’t have any symptoms now, but [the disease] is unpredictable. Suddenly, it throws up some symptoms or [body] pain. It’s better to be careful.”

Work, however, hasn’t stopped for Bajpayee. He is promoting the upcoming ZEE5 release, Silence: Can You Hear It? from the confines of his room. The actor, who plays a cop investigating a murder case, says he is glad that director Aban Bharucha Deohans gave him an opportunity to explore the mystery genre. “My character is a quick-thinking guy, and has a quirky sense of humour, which attracted me to him. I have always been choosy [about my projects]. There have been a few [choices] that didn’t go down well, but I embrace all my bad decisions.”

Singapore in Southeast Asia is the world's only island city-state. It has an estimated population of 57 lakh and an area of 719 square kilometres. The city is known for its shopping spots, Universal Studios and its man-made beaches. For Manoj Bajpayee, its biggest draw is that Singapore makes his six-year-old daughter, Ava Nayla, smile...

Roller-coaster rides
The time I spent with my wife, Neha, and daughter at Universal Studios is unforgettable. They have so many great activities centered around the classics and the great entertainers of our times. I enjoyed a stroll down the Hollywood Boulevard and in the Jurassic Park's The Lost World. Waterworld was enjoyable too but I'm scared of roller-coasters so I watched my wife and daughter ride them with joyous screams from afar. Ava Nayla laughed at my fears and insisted I go on certain rides with them, threatening that if I didn't oblige her, I wouldn't get to step on them ever in my life. After that how could I refuse!

Zoo by day, safari by night
The Singapore Zoo is one of the best maintained in the world. There are more than 300 species of animals kept in their natural habitat. There are special shows with actors performing alongside animals and they are equally entertaining for both kids and adults.

For the adventurous, there's the Night Safari which is open from 7:30 pm to midnight. The world's first safari park for nocturnal animals, it officially opened on May 26, 1994, adjacent to the Singapore Zoo and Upper Seletar Reservoir. It houses 2,500 animals of over 130 species, 38 per cent of them endangered, and spread over 86 acres of secondary rainforest. You can go trekking or take a 35-minute tram ride with live commentary which takes you across the seven geographical zones of the world - from the rugged Himalayan Foothills to the swampy banks of Equatorial Africa.

Party on the yacht
One of my friends hired a yacht and we had a party on it. It was an evening well spent. Later, we had a barbeque on the beach. I would recommend that to all tourists. You just need to hire a spot and cook on the beach with family and friends. The city offers some must see beaches even though they are man-made. The popular beaches are Changi and Palawan. There's also Sentosa, a popular island resort, which offers many fun activities. You can visit the Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom, be mesmerised by the pyrotechnics displays, water fountains, flame bursts and laser projectors of the Wings of Time - a live multimedia extravaganza, get a panoramic view of the city from the Tiger Sky Tower, check into Madame Tussauds wax museum or take your child to the Kidzania interactive indoor theme park.

On my platter
Food is not a problem in Singapore because different kinds of cuisines are available. Italian is my favourite, but this time I also experimented with Japanese and Vietnamese and found them to be fantastic too. The street food is amazing. Since there are so many Tamilians in Singapore, you can find delicious parathas cooking on the street. They call them 'Pratas' and they are a part of the local cuisine now. Since Singapore has a lot of Asians, I met some Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian fans there. They made me feel good about my work. Indian films are very popular in the city.

Shopping shenanigans
My wife Neha and daughter went berserk shopping. We went with two suitcases and came back with five. There are many popular markets in the city offering a lot of variety. If you are looking for some street shopping there's Orchard Road, China Town and Little India. Among the malls, I'd recommend Vivo City and Marina Bay Sands. I'm really fond of shoes so I picked up a few pairs while my daughter bought lots of toys and clothes.

A fishy bit of history
You can't leave Singapore without seeing the Merlion statues. There are seven of them in the city and are the symbol of Singapore. The Merlion has the head of a lion and the body of a fish and rests on waves. In ancient times, Singapore was known as Temasek, a Javanese word for sea. In the 11th century, Prince Sang Nila Utama of the Srivijaya Empire rediscovered the island. When he landed, he sighted a mystical beast which he later learnt was a lion and decided to name the island “Singapura“. 'Singa' is lion in Sanskrit and 'Pura' means city. The fish tail of the Merlion symbolises the ancient city of Temasek and represents Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village.