Nagraj Manjule on Frame: ‘Suggested my ideas to the director as an assistant’

Nagraj Manjule (right) plays a photojournalist in ‘Frame’. Pics/By Special Arrangement, Youtube

Acting gigs here and there aren't uncommon for filmmaker Nagraj Manjule. "But I am not a full-time actor," he specified. That's probably the reason why he relied more on director Vikram Patwardhan's conviction than his own, when the latter offered him the lead role in Frame. "Vikram said, ‘It will be good if you do the role, I kept you in mind while writing it'," recalled Manjule, who fronts the ZEE5 film along with co-actor Amey Wagh.

Moving from behind the camera to in front of it can be a big transition - something that Manjule has embraced while working under the direction of other filmmakers. Was it difficult to keep the director in him at bay while slipping into his first lead role? "Agar keeda samajhdaar ho toh door rakhne ki zaroorat nahin hai," he laughed, before adding, "If you have to suggest something and it's in line with the director's vision, it's okay. I believe that a director is the captain of the ship and the film's world [is seen] through his/her gaze. Vikram has done a superlative job with this story. He knew everything - the characters, their emotions - and that's a mark of a good director. So, whenever I suggested ideas to him, I did it as an assistant."

As a result, he not only found a meaty role, but was also introduced to the unfamiliar world of photojournalism. Manjule, who plays a photojournalist in the Marathi film, shared, "When I act in my films, the characters are [born from] my experiences. I understand the world. But I didn't know anything about this character. Unlike Vikram [who was a photojournalist], I haven't seen this world from inside. But I found the characters interesting."

Nagraj Manjule has often featured in his directorial ventures, including:

. ‘Pistulya' (2009)
. ‘Fandry' (2013)
. ‘Sairat' (2016)
. ‘Jhund' (2022)
. ‘Unpaused' (2022)