Kay Kay Menon recalls losing out on ‘Maqbool’ to dear friend Irrfan, but got ‘Haider’ as Manoj Bajpayee didn’t have dates

NEW DELHI, AUG 10 (ONLINE): Kay Kay Menon, known for his powerful and versatile performances, is approaching an impressive milestone of three decades in the film industry.
Kay Kay Menon recalls losing out on ‘Maqbool’ to dear friend Irrfan, but got ‘Haider’ as Manoj Bajpayee didn’t have dates: ‘Industry didn’t know how to utilise us’
Kay Kay Menon, known for his powerful and versatile performances, is approaching an impressive milestone of three decades in the film industry.
Reflecting on his career, Kay Kay Menon shared that he, along with close friends Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpayee, entered the Hindi film industry at a time when filmmakers weren’t quite sure how to “use” actors of their caliber.
In an interview with Sucharita Tyagi, Kay Kay Menon addressed Manoj Bajpayee’s remark about feeling discarded because filmmakers often chose Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay for roles. Reacting to it, and talking about their friendship, Menon revealed, “I lost Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool to my friend Irrfan and got Haider because Manoj didn’t have dates. But I guess if you are at it, things happen. I don’t believe what Manoj said, because Manoj was the first choice for Haider. He, however, didn’t have dates, and most probably Vishal (Bhardwaj) and Manoj discussed and said ‘Kay Kay ko lete hai (let’s take Kay Kay instead)’. That’s how it happened, ulta hua hai (it is the other way around).”
Kay Kay explained that he, Manoj, and Irrfan entered the industry together during a time when filmmakers didn’t quite know how to utilize their talents. They often ended up playing villains or half-villains due to the nature of the films at that time. Despite these challenges, he noted that they remained close friends, frequently engaging in long conversations to share their frustrations.