Nagraj Manjule is disheartened that Amitabh Bachchan starrer Jhund didn’t ‘reach many people’: ‘It didn’t get the love it deserved’

But did he have higher expectations from Jhund because he had Amitabh Bachchan leading the film, a biographical sports drama based on the life of Vijay Barse, the founder of NGO Slum Soccer. “Of course we had expectations,” he says. “But I also knew that it wasn’t a film like Sairat that it would become popular. Jhund had Bachchan sir, most of the actors from Sairat, even if the Marathi audiences had seen the film, it would be a successful film, but that didn’t happen.”

When asked if he is worried that his audiences only seem to be accepting his Marathi directorials and not Hindi film, he said, “Aisa nahi hai. During Covid-19 a lot of films were coming, every week there were at least two big films released. So looking at the situation and the time Jhund released in, I think, considering the money it made and the reach it got, the film did fairly well. But I am sure Jhund could do better.

Manjule confessed that Jhund has been a major learning experience for him. “I have learnt the importance to promote my films better, and make sure that my film reaches maximum people. People should know your film is coming. If people watch it and tell me it was bad, that’s okay. I like negative feedback, I take it constructively, but when people don’t watch it and say that it is a good film, then I don’t like it. A lot of people now know that Jhund had released and tell me that they’ve heard that it is a good film. I wish they had seen it too, that too in theatres, because it helps the film and people can enjoy films better on the big screen.”

When Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film Chhello Show was chosen as India’s official entry to Oscars last year, there was a major uproar on the Film Federation’s choice. While many thought SS Rajamouli’s RRR should have been India’s official entry to Oscars, a section of film critics and audiences also felt Jhund could be the right film to represent India at Oscars.

So what does Manjule think about it? “I have never paid attention to it. I have never tried. All I know is to make films. While I agree this too should be done but I think when it comes to which film will represent India internationally, that should be decided by the Indian government. Maybe they have never felt that my films can represent India on a global platform.”

Manjule’s Sairat was remade in several languages, one of the best known remakes is Shashank Khaitan’s 2018 film Dhadak starring Jhanvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, which was backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. While the actors’ performances received love, the film was described as a commericial version of Sairat. What is Manjule’s take on remake, and can any other filmmaker bring in the same heart and soul as the original?

According to Manjule, “Commercial matlab commercial hai hi, films are not only about art, films are a commercial medium as well. If you can do it (remakes) well or not do it well, it is a different matter all together. So people can choose to remake films, but ek film ki jo jaan hai, if you can’t bring it in your film then that’s a different challenge and one can always work on it.”

Manjule is playing a full-fledged role in Ghar Banduk Biryani; does the filmmaker now plan to act in films as well, “Filmmaking is my first love, but I have played small roles for friends,” he says, but he would like to act in a film directed by Anurag Kashyap.

“Fandry was my first (feature) film as a director, I had played a small role in that film. Since then many people have wanted me to act. I did a small role in Umesh Kulkarni ‘s film Highway also, and a couple of small roles in other films. I have played tiny roles in my films too, in fact Anurag Kashyap has told me a few times that he wants to work with me but that has not worked out yet. He thought I would look good on screen.”