Shabana, known professionally as Neha Bajpai, was an actress until 2009, with notable roles in films like Kareeb, Fiza, Pyaar Ki Jeet, and Alli Thandha Vaanam. She acted alongside stars like Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn, and Irrfan Khan. After Acid Factory, she stopped acting and had married Manoj Bajpayee.
After a 15-year break from acting, Manoj spoke about the reasons behind his wife’s absence from films. He mentioned that she didn’t quit acting but stopped getting offers due to various reasons, including politics in the industry. Being an outsider without a mentor also contributed to her absence.

The actor also shared a story about filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who once bit Shabana’s hand during a shoot. He explained that since Shabana didn’t have formal film training, she would often raise the wrong hand in a scene. To correct her, Vidhu bit her hand, something Manoj believes no one could do to him.

He further explained that since Shabana was new to the industry, she didn’t know if the action was acceptable. She probably believed that filmmakers behaved this way and assumed they were all “mad geniuses” who could do anything they wanted.
Shabana made her debut in the film Kareeb, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. However, the movie did not perform well at the box office.