“I had nearly given the film away, but it was destined for me!” – Mahesh Manjrekar on ‘Panghrun’

For director/actor Mahesh Manjrekar, Panghrun was the film written to launch his step-daughter Gauri in the lead. “When this story fell into my lap, and began developing it, I knew then that this film was for Gauri. This was the kind of subject that doesn’t come to you often and was perfect,” said a proud father and director.

Panghrun is a period film that has been ready for the past two years, and Manjrekar said, “I had nearly given it away to someone else to direct it. But then I realized that it was proving to be difficult for the person, so I found a producer and made the film.”

This film is shot in the ever beautiful Konkan and is reminiscent of his earlier film ‘Kaksparsh’ in 2012.

Panghrun is set in the era before Independence and looks at women’s situation at that time. Widow remarriage was hesitatingly accepted and underage girls were being married off to much older men. It also delves into the desires and emotions of women trapped in traditional roles, with no outlet for expression.

Watch the Panghrun trailer here

“This is a film that shows complexity of human emotions and relationships in a very aesthetic manner and it allows me to experiment and bring in new concepts like here in Panghrun, the element of dance flows naturally with the semi classical music or the bhakti music which is the backbone of the film,” said Manjrekar.

His prowess as an actor also came in use to help Gauri as a mentor for her first lead film and also for the film. “The actor in me often comes out to help me to be a better director and create impressive scenes,” he said. Manjrekar loves to experiment and wants to do some different abstract subjects for he feels that the audience is there for such films and that there is no formula for a hit film.

Manjrekar plans to go back to his first love, theatre, where he wants to do a thriller play but until then he has his hands full with films such as Mrugatrushna, De Dhakka 2, and a web series. “I might attempt a docudrama next, which will be a first for me. Nothing stops me,” he concludes with his lopsided smile.