Naseeruddin Shah shared that Manthan holds a special place in his heart, not because of its success, but because it helped him get recognition.
Shyam Benegal’s Manthan was India’s first crowd-funded film. (Photo Credit: X)
At the recent French Film Festival in Kolkata, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah reflected on the impact of Manthan, a film that played a pivotal role in shaping his career. Directed by Shyam Benegal, the film was screened at the festival, bringing back memories of its unexpected success.
For Shah, Manthan holds a special place—not for its box office performance, but because it helped him gain recognition and finally secure more acting opportunities. Looking back, he recalled how, during production, many doubted the film’s potential, dismissing it as an unappealing story about a milkman. However, Manthan went on to become Benegal’s most successful film, running for five to seven weeks in single-screen theatres—a significant feat at the time.
Speaking about his early career struggles, Shah shared, “Manthan was my second film as an actor. My first, Nishant, also with Shyam Benegal, did well, and everyone else from the cast started getting work. I received great reviews, but nothing came my way. I kept wondering, ‘What did I do wrong? Why am I not getting any work?’ I was left with nothing until Shyam told me he was planning another film.”
Initially, Manthan didn’t generate much buzz, with critics convinced it would fail. However, when it stayed in theatres for a second week, things took a surprising turn. Shah vividly remembered going to watch the film and being amazed by the audience’s response—people laughed, clapped, and engaged with the story in ways he hadn’t expected.
“It’s probably been Shyam’s most successful film to date. It was after Manthan that I started getting work because people realized that I was the same nincompoop who acted in Nishant, who had sort of suddenly drunk the magic elixir of Asterix or something. After all, I was a completely different person,” Shah added.
Interestingly, the 1976 film was India’s first crowd-funded film. Naseeruddin Shah shared that the movie was made possible because of five lakh farmers, who contributed two rupees and helped them raise Rs 10 lakh rupees.
Other than Shah, Manthan also featured Girish Karnad, Smita Patil, Sadhu Meher, Anant Nag, Amrish Puri and Mohan Agashe.
