August 16 marks a special day for the entertainment world, celebrating the birthday of Mahesh Manjrekar. He’s a true jack-of-all-trades, a rare talent who wears many hats. Whether it’s directing, acting, writing, or singing, he handles it all with skill. In fact, you can catch him in Rajinikanth’s new movie, ‘Coolie’, right now.
Manjrekar’s journey began in Mumbai, where he was born on August 16, 1958. His first appearance on screen was in the Marathi TV series ‘Kshitij’ on Doordarshan. He played the role of a leprosy patient, showing his early acting chops. While he’s a big name in Marathi cinema, he’s also made a significant mark in Hindi films.
– Photo: Social Media
He stepped into Bollywood by directing and acting in the film ‘Vaastav’ alongside Sanjay Dutt. This movie was a huge success for Dutt’s career. After ‘Vaastav’ hit big, Manjrekar continued to direct and perform in films like ‘Astiva’ and ‘Kurukshetra’, proving his talent on both sides of the camera.
Funnily enough, Manjrekar never really intended to be an actor. He wanted to make a name for himself as a director. Yet, he started taking on small roles in his own films. While ‘Vaastav’ solidified his reputation as a director, his acting career truly took off three years later. In 2002, he played Raj Balli in the film ‘Kaante’, which brought him wide recognition as an actor.
– Photo: Social Media
After ‘Kaante’, Manjrekar continued to explore acting. He took on a negative role in the Telugu film ‘Okkadunnadu’. He then worked with Hollywood director Danny Boyle in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, where he played a character with shades of grey. He has also been a regular face in Salman Khan’s hit movies, appearing in ‘Wanted’, ‘Dabangg’, ‘Bodyguard’, and ‘Ready’ in various parts. His filmography also includes ‘Himmatwala’, ‘Singham Returns’, ‘Vrindavan’, ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota’, ‘Total Dhamaal’, ‘Kesari’, and ‘Saaho’.
Beyond acting and directing, Manjrekar is also a talented playback singer. He has lent his voice to films such as ‘Kaante’ and ‘City of Gold Mumbai 1982: An Untold Story’. It seems there’s no limit to his creative abilities.
– Photo: Social Media
His ambitions weren’t limited to cinema. Mahesh Manjrekar also tried his hand at politics. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he ran as a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate from Mumbai North West. However, he lost the election to Gajanan Kirtikar of Shiv Sena.
Manjrekar has received recognition for his work, including a National Film Award. He won the Best Feature Film in Marathi for ‘Astiva’. He also played the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Marathi film ‘Mi Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy’. On television, he has hosted multiple seasons of ‘Bigg Boss Marathi’, adding another feather to his cap. He has won several National Awards throughout his career.
– Photo: Social Media
When it comes to his influences, Manjrekar considers veteran director Mahesh Bhatt his guru. He draws inspiration from Bhatt for his own directorial work. His closest friend in the industry is director Sanjay Gupta. In fact, it was Gupta who directed ‘Kaante’, the Hindi film that brought Manjrekar significant fame as an actor.
– Photo: Instagram
In his personal life, Mahesh Manjrekar was first married to costume designer Deepa Mehta. They had two children, Satya and Ashwami, before their divorce in 1995. He later married Medha Manjrekar. Together, they have a daughter, Saiee Manjrekar, who has followed in her father’s footsteps and become an actress herself.
– Photo: Social Media