‘I love exploring’: Manjari Fadnis, who will soon be seen in The Freelancer, says due to the OTT boom, she is getting challenging and complex characters to essay

Mona

For Manjari Fadnis, the role of Mrunal Kamath is a wish come true! Not only does it get her a chance to work with Neeraj Pandey, who was forever on her wish list of makers to work it, but also fetches her a challenging and complex character to essay! To be seen as Mrunal Kamath, wife of the protagonist in The Freelancer (played by Mohit Raina), Manjari opens up about her latest role and journey in the entertainment world.

An Army kid, Manjari has not just lived across the length and breadth of the country but also worked in different languages – Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, apart from her mother tongue, Marathi, and of course Hindi. “My Army upbringing gave me the adaptability to change home every three years; get into a new school, make friends all over again.” All this growing up training came handy when Manjari joined the film industry and offers came by. “I love exploring different cultures and languages. Each new movie project gets me excited, and gives me chance to learn and adapt to a new language and culture,” says the Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na actress.

Close to a decade-and-a-half plus in the industry, it’s only now that Manjari feels she is getting the kind of roles she wanted to play. “Attribute it to the OTT boom or changing landscape of the entertainment industry, it’s only now that I am getting challenging and complex characters to play. The Freelancer brought her way one such role. “Getting into the cast was a long-drawn process, and the short-listed candidates were all these amazing actors, I am so glad it came my way,” says Manjari. In the series, she plays her husband’s anchor and also a woman who is emotionally vulnerable and in a delicate state due to a past trauma.

Art of craft

In awe of Neeraj Pandey, who is the creator of the show, Manjari says, “He is so sure on what he wants from an actor and commands so much love and respect on the sets. In fact, this whole team was amazing and a pleasure to work with.” The show is directed by Bhav Dhulia, who has much loved Khakee: The Bihar Chapter to his credit. Manjari gushes, “I have seen Bhav Dhulia’s Khakee before and he’s totally outdone himself in The Freelancer.”

Life of an actor is way more than just working on the sets. Says Manjari, “Even when not on a set, an actor is constantly working on self, on the craft.” While she is enjoying the busy current phase with multiple projects in different stages, in free time she loves to cook, read and work on her singing. “I am trying my hands at the piano these days, and trying music that I can sing and play at the same time,” she avers.

While The Freelancer, based on the book A Ticket To Syria, drops in September on Disney+Hotstar, Manjari has her hands full with film Chalti Rahe Zindagi, which is enjoying a good response at festivals; a thriller Pune Highway and an Abbas Mastan film, Penthouse.

Humble prayers

Chandigarh holds a special place in Manjari Fadnis’ heart not only because she shot here for a month for the thriller Masoom and falling in love with its food and warm people, but also because it is close to her childhood love - Shimla. The current troubled times that the hill state is going through has Manjari anxious. “It’s so sad to see those videos of devastation; my heart goes out to everyone dealing with it.”

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