‘Jhund’ director Nagraj Manjule wins strong praise from cine fraternity

Mumbai, Mar 6 (UNI) Actor Riteish Deshmukh has urged audiences to go and watch “Jhund”, Marathi director Nagraj Manjule’s first Hindi venture, and has gushed over Amitabh Bachchan’s role in the film. Deshmukh, in tweets, has termed Nagraj Manjule the “bestest’ director” in the country, as the film makes people “think of two Indias divided by a compound wall”. “Please do yourself a favour and watch #Jhund on the big screen. @Nagrajmanjule is the ‘bestest director’ in the country – he makes you cry, cheer, feel the pain, the euphoria and most importantly he makes you think of two Indias divided by a compound wall. “@SrBachchan Sir, you are so so awesome in the movie. Your silence speaks volumes. It’s a joy seeing you on screen in this avatar. Every actor is pitch perfect, kudos to the casting team. @AjayAtulOnline have hit this one out of the park – Wakada Tikada – hit #BhushanKumar “The film, produced by T Series, also showcases the “Bhim Jayanti” song and iconography of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. “Jhund” has been inspired by Vijay Barse, a social worker from Nagpur whose non-profit organization Slum Soccer trains disadvantaged youngsters in football. Vijay Barse, said in a tweet, “Thank you, NAGRAJ MANJULE, AMITABH BACHHAN & MARATHI film industry for mainstreaming BABA SAHAB AMBEDKAR in commercial Hindi movie released in movie theater.” Nagraj Manjule’s “Jhund” takes Amitabh Bachchan to the slum and treats characters from the slum like movie stars. The film follows a story of a bunch of slum children in Nagpur and how a retired sports teacher puts a football in their hands, instead of the whitener they sniff, or the cheap alcohol they drink to escape their struggles in life, which boils down to their caste. One line in the film is very telling, when Amitabh Bachchan tells a judge, “No matter how much talent they have, they can’t reach you. There is just too large a wall.”