After Sairat, Nagraj Manjule has returned with another emotionally charged drama Jhund starring Amitabh Bachchan that’s playing in theatres now. It is one thing to harbour the desire to work with your favourite actor, but another to get an opportunity to direct him in a film. Manjule feels that he has been lucky to have directed Bachchan in his Bollywood debut. 

The film is centered around Bachchan’s character Vijay Borade (based on former sports coach Vijay Barse, who trains underprivileged kids in football). By his own admission, Nagraj has been a huge fan of the legendary actor since his childhood. He shares, “The experience brought back a lot of memories. From not having the money to watch his films to directing him, the change of circumstances has been surreal. This is a huge transition in my life.”

Manjule tells us that he explored a different side of Bachchan while working with him. “I was under immense pressure as I had never worked with a superstar. But he made everything so easy. He is the humblest superstar I have come across. He never made us feel small. He used to sit with us in between the shots and never used to go to his vanity.”

He adds, “There have been times when we messed things up, delayed call time, but he never lost his cool. He is a patient actor with a big heart. He used to narrate many poems to us and all of it has been memorable. It’s almost been three years since we finished shooting, but even today he meets us with so much love. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.”  

(Featured Image Credits: Special arrangement)