Manoj Bajpai to play coal mafia don in Kashyap's next

Jun 16, 2010 IANS

Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) Manoj Bajpai is all set to don the garb of a bad guy for Anurag Kashyap's "Gangs of Wassipur". The actor says he has verbally agreed to play a coal mafia gangster, but has yet to sign on the dotted line.

"The story, of course, has a gang involved in it. It's not like 'Satya' because there that was Mumbai mafia. This will show the coal mafia of Dhanbad (Jharkhand)," Manoj told IANS. "I haven't signed the film, but I have verbally agreed to do it."

Manoj is still remembered for playing gangster Bhiku Matre in Ramgopal Varma's underworld drama "Satya" (1998) - the film was a huge success at the box office.

Though he hasn't signed the contract, Manoj has already started making preparation to tone down his body for his role in "Gangs of Wassipur". "I have to lose three kgs in one-and-a-half month for the film. I have to look lean," he said.

Right now he is basking in the success of his recent release "Raajneeti" where he played an aggressive politician Virendra Pratap Singh, which was modelled on Duryodhan of Mahabharata.