Actress Manava Naik turns director

“I have always wanted to become a director. I became an actress by accident,” says actress Manava Naik, who has acted in Marathi films like Shahanpan Dega Deva, Fakta Ladh Mhana, Kaksparsh, No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey, to name a few. Naik takes up direction with Porbaazar, a youth-centric film, in which she introduces five new faces, of which three are star kids. “I have known all of them since a long time while working in serials and plays. I have seen their potential and thus decided to launch them in my film,” says the director who, having completed a film-making course from New York in 2011, debuted with Dopheri which bagged some awards. “My friend Swanand Kirkire has acted in Porbaazar while my mother Meena Naik has co-produced the film,” says the actress-turned-director who plans to continue acting while pursuing her ambition of direction.
Porbaazar has Swarangi Marathe and Anurag Worlikar who are new to the film industry. Of the star-kids are Satya Manjrekar who is Mahesh Manjrekar’s teenage son, Dharmaj Joshi, son of character actor Manoj Joshi and Sakheel Parchure, daughter of actor Atul Parchure. The film also stars Sai Tamhankar, Ankush Chaudhari, Chitra Nawathe, Prajakta Dighe, and Mrunal Pantvaidya.
The first look and the poster of the film was unveiled by Madhukar Pichad, NCP President, recently in Mumbai. The film is presented by Video Palace for the banner of ARD Entertainment. Produced by Ashwini Ranjit Darekar, the film is co-produced by Meena Naik’s Strawberry Pictures. “Porbaazar is set for a September release but I have already begun working on another project,” says Naik without revealing the details.