Mahesh Manjrekar: Sagar Deshmukh Is A Perfect Fit For Pu La Deshpande

Mahesh Manjrekar, in the beginning, could have never considered Sagar Deshmukh to be the main actor in his movie. Nonetheless, after a moment of hesitation when creative director Amol Parchure nominated Sagar for Pu La Deshpande, he accepted. And it has turned out to be a great decision ever. “His casting in Bhai: Vyakti ki Valli was purely by chance. When his name was first suggested, I wasn’t convinced. When I met him in office and then when I saw the edited version, I knew that no one else would have pulled it off like he did. He has taken the role to a completely different level,” said the director.

Unlike usual, audiences will be able to watch two different parts of the movie at the cinema. With over thirty years' industry experience, Mahesh shared the reason for this strangeness, “It is true that the most brilliant thought or idea will strike you in the bathroom (laughs). I was cutting the film like a fool, and then it struck me, ‘why can’t I release it in two parts?’ There is a risk as it is one story releasing on two days, it is not like a Dabangg 1 and 2. But I am positive.”

Mahesh thinks that the film-making should not be stereotyped. When a legend's story cannot be vividly described in a movie, he can't cut off the significant details just to ensure the movie's length. “If you are making a portrait, you can’t cut off the features of a person because of lack of space. Similarly, I could not cut out important and relevant portions of Pu La’s life to make a film spanning two hours,” confided the director.

Besides, there is still a little contradiction between Mahesh and the writer. While Mahesh applauds his judicious decision on choosing the screenplay, the writer seems not very keen on it. “It was the anger and need to prove a point to the writer that I embarked on this journey. That apart, I am really fascinated by this man’s life and his stories,” he said.