Jhund director Nagraj Manjule on Amitabh Bachchan’s affect on him: ‘Start of my love for cinema’

Growing up, filmmaker Nagraj Manjule says the world of Amitabh Bachchan movies was an enormous affect on him and he credit the megastar for making him fall in love with cinema.

Manjule, the director of a few of the most acclaimed movies of the final decade together with Fandry and Sairat, mentioned in his Jeur village in Maharashtra’s Solapur district, he was the native Bachchan.

“His films have had a huge influence on me, the start of my love for cinema. In my growing up years, till the time I was in tenth standard– before I failed and moved away from cinema — he was my world. I was such a big Bachchan fan that there’s no film of his that I would have missed watching,” the director instructed PTI.

The megastar’s movies like Yaarana, Main Azaad Hoon, Deewaar, Khuda Gawah and Satte Pe Satta had a huge effect on him, he asserted.

The filmmaker mentioned he watched Satte Pe Satta near 50 instances, sneaking in cinema halls to solely catch the entry sequence of Amitabh Bachchan as killer Babu .

“I would have watched the film minimum 50 times in those days just for that sequence and return home or sometimes only go to watch that sequence! Such was his influence on me. I would watch three-four film shows of his, in a single day!”

From dressing up like his cinema icon, to mouthing his dialogues, Manjule mentioned he tailored Bachchan’s on display persona in each method potential.

“Main itna bada deewana tha (I was such a huge fan). I would copy his style, tie my shirt in knots like him from Deewaar and go to school. I would often get punished too, but never stopped. Basically, main apne aapko Bachchan samjhta tha (I thought I was Bachchan) and would roam around like him, mouthing his dialogues,” he added.

The 43-year-old director is now gearing up for his newest Jhund, which is headlined by Amitabh Bachchan.

The movie options the megastar as Vijay Barse, a Nagpur-based retired sports activities trainer who pioneers a slum soccer motion.

For Manjule, collaborating together with his favorite artiste was surreal.

“It was daunting when I would think, how will I possibly be able to work with him. Before Jhund, I had only worked with non actors. So I would think what would be the process, how will I direct him. But credit to him, he really never made me feel any pressure or burden.”

The filmmaker mentioned he knew working with the 79-year-old display icon was a as soon as in a lifetime alternative and therefore he wished to take advantage of the chance.

“I was careful that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. Someone whose work you have seen only on the screen and now you get a chance to collaborate, that was huge. I lived every moment with him, every second of working with Bachchan sir was precious,” he added.

Jhund is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Raaj Hiremath, Savita Raj Hiremath, Manjule, Gargee Kulkarni and Meenu Aroraa underneath the banners of T-Series, Tandav Films Entertainment and Aatpat.

The movie is scheduled to launch on March 4.