Mahesh Manjrekar is not just an actor but also a successful filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer, who lent his voice for Kattappa’s character in the Marathi version of Baahubali.
Before Vaastav became a blockbuster, Mahesh was on the verge of quitting the industry due to repeated struggles. He has turned 68 on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
In 2000, Mahesh was diagnosed with bladder cancer, a condition he initially kept private from the public.
Even while undergoing treatment, he continued working on projects, sometimes hiding his pain from colleagues and after recovery, he has often spoken in interviews about the importance of regular health check-ups, encouraging others not to ignore symptoms.
While audiences often recognise him as an actor, Manjrekar has directed several notable films. His directorial work includes Vaastav: The Reality (1999), Astitva (2000), Kurukshetra (2000) and Viruddh… Family Comes First (2005).
Manjrekar entered electoral politics and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North-West as a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate.
His daughter Saiee Manjrekar followed him into acting and made her Hindi film debut opposite Salman Khan in Dabangg 3 (2019).
Source: Read the original article on www.freepressjournal.in