Manoj Bajpayee reveals why Vidhu Vinod Chopra bit his wife Shabana’s hand while shooting Kareeb

Manoj Bajpayee married Shabana Raza in 2006. She had debuted opposite Bobby Deol in Kareeb

Actress Shabana Raza, known professionally as Neha, made her acting debut with Kareeb (1998). The film, also starring Bobby Deol, was directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film is known for its lovely music. She met actor Manoj Bajpayee after her first film, and the pair tied the knot in 2006.

Despite working in several other films like Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet (1999), Fiza (2000), Rahul (2001), Aatma (2006) and Acid Factory (2009), her career never really took off. It was assumed that she quit films eventually, but in a recent interview, Manoj confirmed that wasn't true.

Did Kareeb actress Shabana quit films?

When asked why Shabana quit films, Manoj said, "She didn't quit films, she stopped getting work for some reason. Too many politics, here and there. As someone coming from outside, she really did not have any mentor. It was Vidhu Vinod Chopra, I think."

Why Vidhu Vinod Chopra bit her

Manoj also confirmed that Chopra once bit Shabana on her hand during the shoot. "Shabana had no acting experience. She was raising the wrong hand during a song. He bit her there just for her to remember that this is the hand to be raised. No one can do this with me. Because she was new, she thought this is how directors behave!"

Last year, Shabana, in collaboration with her husband Manoj Bajpayee and Vikram Khakhar, launched Aurega Studios, a film production company. The studio's inaugural film was Bhaiyya Ji, which released in 2024.

The couple are raising a daughter, named Ava Nayla, together, who is studying at a boarding school. Manoj explained why they preferred to send their only daughter off to a boarding school.

"It was getting difficult to get her from one class to another in Mumbai. Plus she would return home tired from her hour-long commute and have no energy for anything. At boarding school, she has everything under one roof. Also, there is a limit on screen times, so she gets to have more human interaction than spending time on her iPad," he said.