Nagraj Manjule

Nagraj Manjule
Manjule (right) at the 65th National Film Awards Function in New Delhi
Born	Nagraj Popatrao Manjule (1978-08-24) 24 August 1978 (age 46) Jeur, Maharashtra, India
Occupations	Actor director producer poet scriptwriter
Spouse	Gargee Kulkarni (m. 2017)[1] Sunita Manjule ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2014)​ [2]
Children	2
Awards	National Film Award, First Non-Feature Film 2010 Pistulya Indira Gandhi Award, Best Debut Film 2013 Fandry

Nagraj Popatrao Manjule (born 24 August 1978) is an Indian film director, actor, producer, scriptwriter, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He works in Marathi cinema, and is best known for Sairat and Pistulya—the latter for which he received National Film Award in the National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director. He made his Hindi Cinema debut in 2022, with a film called Jhund, starring Amitabh Bachchan.

At the 61st National Film Awards, Fandry won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.^[3] In 2018, Manjule published a book of poetry in Marathi titled Unhachya Katavirudhha which won the Bhairuratan Damani Sahitya Puraskar.^[4] He owns a wrestling team called 'Veer Marathwada' in Zee Maharashtra Kusti Dangal.^[5]

Early life and education

Manjule grew up in Jeur village in the Solapur district of Maharashtra.^[6] Baburao Manjule, who is the brother of Nagraj's father Popatrao Manjule, adopted Nagraj due to financial hardships.^[7] However, Nagraj decided early on that if he achieved anything significant, he would honor his biological father, Popatrao Manjule. Since starting his career in the film industry, he has been known by the name 'Nagraj Popatrao Manjule' in all his professional endeavors.^[8] He belongs to the traditionally-nomadic Waddar community, a Dravidian tribe.

He earned his M.A. in Marathi literature from University of Pune, followed by a master's in communication studies from New Arts, Science and Commerce College, Ahmednagar.^[9]

Career

Manjule is strongly inspired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the emancipator of downtrodden and the drafting chairman of the Indian constitution.^[10] His films are deeply rooted in his own experience growing up as a dalit in rural Maharashtra.^[11] His films have focused on the plights faced by members of these communities, including social discrimination at the hands of high-caste communities as well as the resulting economic hardships.

His first National Award-winning short film Pistulya is a reflection of his 'felt experience'.^[12] The film focuses on the desire of a dalit boy to attend school, and his inability to do so because of his family's poverty and a deep-seated disdain for formal education within his community.

His debut feature film, Fandry, was released in February 2014; the word means "pig" in the Kaikadi language,^[13] which is a metaphor for the dehumanizing treatment of the dalit community in rural India. This film also addresses caste discrimination. This film won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.

Manjule's second film, Sairat, premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.^[14] Like Fandry and Pistulya, it deals with caste discrimination and honour killing, a practice still widespread in parts of India. Sairat also seeks to address the role of women in society, with the character of Archie (Archana Patil), the female protagonist of Sairat, garnering both popular and critical acclaim. Sairat is currently the highest grossing Marathi film of all time.^[15] In 2019, Manjule hosted Marathi Kaun Banega Crorepati.^[16] Manjule made his directorial debut in Hindi films with Jhund starring Amitabh Bachchan.^[17]

In 2023, Manjule appeared in Ghar Banduk Biryani, playing the role of a police officer. This film marked his first collaboration with Sayaji Shinde and his third with Akash Thosar. Currently, Manjule working on the film Khashaba, in collaboration with Jio Studios. The film will focus on K. D. Jadhav, the first athlete from independent India to win an individual Olympic medal.^[18]

Filmography

Film

Key

†	Denotes films that have not yet been released

• All films are in Marathi, unless mentioned.

Year	Film	Actor	Director	Writer	Producer	Role	Notes	Ref.
2010	Pistulya	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Ambadas	National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director	[19]
2013	Fandry	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Chankeshwar "Chankya" Sathe	Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director	[20][21][22][23]
2015	Baji	Yes	No	No	No	Inspector Mahesh		[24]
	Highway	Yes	No	No	No			[25][26]
2016	Sairat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Cricket commentator	Selected For 66th Berlin International Film Festival	[27][28][29][30]
	The Silence	Yes	No	No	No	Uncle		[31][32]
2017	Pavsacha Nibandh	No	Yes	Yes	Yes		Short film	[33][34][35]
2018	Naal	Yes	No	No	Yes	Chaitya's father	Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director	[36][37]
2020	Taar	Yes	No	No	No	Postman	Short film	[38][39]
2022	Unpaused: Naya Safar	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Hindi film
	Jhund	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Hitler Bhai	Hindi film (Bollywood Debut)	[40][41]
2023	Ghar Banduk Biryani	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Raya Patil	Dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu
	Naal 2	Yes	No	No	Yes	Chaitya's father		[42]
TBA	Khashaba †	No	Yes	No	Yes		Based on K.D. Jadhav	[18]
TBA	Frame †	Yes	No	No	Yes			[43]

Web series

Year	Title	Language	Ref.
TBA	Matka King †	Hindi	[44]

Personal life

Manjule was married to Sunita Manjule in 1997 when he studied in 12th, but later divorced on November 10, 2014. He gave Sunita ₹7 lakh as permanent alimony. It was revealed that the allegations were false and Manjule found innocent. Manjule was being defamed for no reason.^[45] In 2017, Manjule married Gargi Kulkarni and has two children Raya and Shahu.^[46][1]

Books

• Unhachya Kataviruddha – poetry.^[47]

Awards

Year	Awards	Categories	Work	Ref.
2010	National Film Awards	Best First Non-Feature Film	Pistulya	[48]
2013	National Film Awards	Best Debut Film of a Director	Fandry	[49]
2014	1st Filmfare Awards Marathi	Best Director
2017	National Film Awards	Best Director in Non-Feature Film	Pavsacha Nibandh	[50]
	Maharashtracha Favourite Kon?	Favourite Director	Sairat
	Filmfare Marathi Awards	Best Director		[51][52]
	Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar	Best Director		[53]
2019	National Film Awards	Best Debut Film of a Director	Naal
2022	Maharashtracha Favourite Kon?	Favourite Director of the Decade	Sairat
2023	Fakt Marathi Cine Sanman	Fakt Marathi Cine Sanman for Best Actor in a Lead Role	Ghar Banduk Biryani
	Maharashtracha Favourite Kon?	Favourite Supporting Actor	Naal 2

References

1. "Nagraj Manjule: दिग्दर्शक नागराज मंजुळेच्या पत्नीचा आणि मुलाचा फोटो समोर". Zee 24 taas (in Marathi). 5 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
2. "Sairat fame Nagraj Manjule's ex wife: He made me go for abortions; thrashed me when asked to keep the child". Pinkvilla.com. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
3. "Ship of Theseus is best film at National Film Awards". The Financial Express. India. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
4. "नागराजच्या लेखणीतून उतरलेल्या पाच उत्तम कविता". loksatta.com. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
5. "Sai Tamhankar, Nagraj Manjule's team will come face-to-face in wrestling ring". timesnownews.com. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
6. Joshi, Namrata (22 December 2015). "The ardour of Nagraj Manjule". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
7. "दिग्दर्शक नागराज मंजुळे यांचा खडतर प्रवास". MensXP (in Marathi). 2 March 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
8. "दत्तकपुत्र आहेत नागराज मंजुळे; लावतात ते नाव खरं नाही, सांगितली नावामागची फिल्मी कहाणी". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). Retrieved 17 March 2024.
9. "Nagraj Manjule Exposing Merit A Hoax of the Caste Society!". roundtableindia.co.in. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
10. "Don't idolise film characters, says Nagraj Manjule". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
11. "Anti-caste Aesthetics and Dalit Interventions in Indian Cinema". Economic and Political Weekly. 55 (38): 7–8. 5 June 2015.
12. "'Pistulya' depicts deprivation, undying urge for better life". Deccan Herald. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
13. "The caste story is not over yet: Nagraj Manjule". Hindustan Times. March 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
14. "Meenakshi Shedde, Nagraj Manjule Speak on Berlinale". news18.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
15. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Sairat: Nagraj Manjule's romantic drama becomes the highest-grossing Marathi film at the time.<ref>
16. "Exclusive: Here's how much Nagraj Manjule is getting paid for Kon Honaar Crorepati". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
17. "Jhund director Nagraj Manujle: 'Fairy tales sell in cinema but it's important to also tell the story of beasts'". The Indian Express. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
18. "'Khashaba': Nagraj Manjule announces a biopic on Indian freestyle wrestler Khashaba Jadhav; Poster out!". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
19. "'सैराट'च्या नागराज मंजुळेची पहिली शॉर्ट फिल्म 'पिस्तुल्या' पाहा". zeenews.india.com. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
20. "Fandry' (Pig) followed by discussion with Director Nagraj Manjule". soas.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
21. S, Bageshree (31 December 2013). "Fandry is really my own story". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
22. "'Fandry' Review: Nagraj Manjule's Exceptional Debut". variety.com. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
23. "Fandry: Mumbai Review". hollywooreporter.com. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
24. "Shreyas Talpade raises a toast to 'Baji' team as film clocks four years". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
25. "After Baji, it's Highway for Nagraj". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
26. "Highway is a confluence of actors and non-actors". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
27. "You don't need to have a grudge to depict society's harsh realities: 'Sairat' director Nagraj Manjule". forbesindia.com. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
28. "No happily ever after endings for Nagraj Manjule". Deccan Herald. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
29. "Sairat' director Nagraj Manjule on the duplicity of Indians on love". Reuters. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
30. "Sairat: Why a doomed love story has become India's sleeper hit". BBC News. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
31. "The Silence': Goa Film Bazaar Review". hollywoodreporter.com. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
32. "Marathi film 'The Silence' to release on October 6". Business Standard India. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
33. "Pavsacha Nibandh review: Nagraj Manjule overturns romanticism of rains with a simple tale on social inequity". firstpost.com. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
34. "Nagraj Manjule's short films Pavsacha Nibandh, Bibtya and Paywat will be aired on TV". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
35. "Nagraj Manjule's National award-winning short film to premiere in Pune". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
36. "'Naal': Five reasons why you shouldn't miss the Nagraj Manjule starrer film". The Times of India. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
37. "Nagraj Manjule returns to acting with Naal". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
38. "Nagraj Manjule to play postman in short film Taar". cinestaan.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
39. "नागराज मंजुळे घेऊन येतोय 'तार', टीझर रिलीज". abplive.com. November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
40. "Amitabh Bachchan's Jhund, directed by Nagraj Manjule, to debut in theatres on 18 June". firstpost.com. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
41. "Jhund': The Nagraj Manjule film starring Amitabh Bachchan to now release in October". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
42. "Makers Of Naal 2 Drop The Teaser Of Sequel To The 2018 Marathi Film". News18. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
43. Jadhav, Devendra (11 November 2023). "Nagraj Manjule: पत्रकारांच्या जगण्यावर भाष्य? नागराज मंजुळेंचा आगामी सिनेमा 'फ्रेम', या अभिनेत्याची प्रमुख भुमिका". Sakal (in Marathi). Retrieved 20 December 2023.
44. PTI (12 June 2024). "Vijay Varma-starrer 'Matka King' series starts shooting". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
45. "'Sairat' director Nagraj Manjule's ex-wife works as a house help in Pune". The Times of India. 9 June 2016. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
46. "नागराज मंजुळेच्या दोन्ही मुलांची नावे खास, अण्णाने आपलं वेगळेपण इथेपण जपलंय". Zee 24 taas (in Marathi). 2 November 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
47. "Why Sairat filmmaker Nagraj Manjule's poetry may prove to be his more powerful legacy". firstpost.com. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
48. "'Pistulya' wins debut short film award at 58th National film awards". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
49. "National Film Awards: Rajkumar best actor, Fandry best debut film". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
50. "65th national film awards : 'पावसाचा निबंध'च्या नावानं चांगभलं- नागराज मंजुळे". loksatta.com. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
51. "WINNERS OF THE FILMFARE AWARDS MARATHI 2017". filmfare.com. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
52. "Jio Filmfare Awards Marathi 2017: Complete winners' list". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
53. "Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar 2017 winners list". Loksatta (in Marathi). 20 March 2017.

External links

• Nagraj Manjule at IMDb
• Nagraj Manjule at Rotten Tomatoes
• Nagraj Manjule at Bollywood Hungama