,
Pa. Ranjith,
Niharika Singh, and Nagraj Manjule taking a selfie at the Dalit Film Festival in
New York City, USA in 2019. Manjule is strongly inspired by
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the emancipator of downtrodden and the drafting chairman of the
Indian constitution. His films are deeply rooted in his own experience growing up as a Dalit in rural Maharashtra. 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'. 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, 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. 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. In 2019, Manjule hosted Marathi
Kaun Banega Crorepati. Manjule made his directorial debut in Hindi films with
Jhund starring
Amitabh Bachchan. 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. == Filmography ==