Filmmaker-actor Mahesh Manjrekar's daughter Saiee Manjrekar is the latest entrant in Bollywood, from the star kids bunch. Mahesh Manjrekar is best known for his 1999 directorial Vaastav, starring Sanjay Dutt as the lead actor. He went on direct Bollywood films such as Astitva (2000), Kurukshetra (2000), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai (2000), Hathyar (2002), Pitaah (2002), Rakht (2004), Viruddh... Family Comes First (2005) and Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! (2005). (All photos/Saiee Manjrekar's official Instagram account and mid-day archives)
Saiee Manjrekar's mother Medha Manjrekar too is a popular actress-producer in the Marathi film industry. She has played pivotal roles in Marathi films such as Natsamrat (2016), Kaksparsh (2012) and De Dhakka (2008).
Born on December 24, 1998, Saiee was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Saiee Manjrekar has always wanted to be an actress. She did her schooling from Dhirubhai Ambani Internation School in Mumbai and pursued graduation from Mumbai University.
Saiee Manjrekar was merely seven when she accompanied her father on the sets of Viruddh... Family Comes First, which starred Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, John Abraham, Anusha Dandekar and Sanjay Dutt. It is said that the little one even assisted her father, while he directed the film.
After launching Sonakshi Sinha in the 2010 cop-drama, Salman Khan, who is a dear friend of Mahesh Manjrekar, is playing godfather to Saiee and will be launching the star kid in Bollywood with the upcoming film Dabangg 3.
Earlier in an interview, Sonakshi Sinha, while talking about Saiee Manjrekar, was quoted saying, "How Dabangg was the perfect launch for me, Dabangg 3 will be for her as well. So I'm really happy the industry is going to get new talent."
Interestingly, Saiee Manjrekar (21) will be seen romancing Salman Khan (53), albeit in flashback sequence, in the third instalment of the Dabangg franchise.
Saiee Manjrekar plays the character called Khushi, a young Chulbul Pandey's love interest. While introducing her character on social media, Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey muttered this interesting dialogue in the promo: "Inki Khushi Ke Liye Hum Kisi Ko Bhi Dukhi Kar Sakte Hain' (I can ruin anyone's happiness just to see Khushi smile).
With Salman Khan having mentored many a successful actor in Bollywood, Saiee values his advice. "He told me to work hard," she says, adding that her father too helped her prepare to face the camera.
Saiee further added, "My father always says acting is reacting to any situation. My mother told me to act and emote with my eyes, adding that the mouth [dialogues] and hands would seamlessly follow. It was a beautiful suggestion which I didn't understand until I experienced it."
Interestingly, Saiee Manjrekar's father Mahesh Manjrekar, who played the character Haria, an alcoholic and father to Sonakshi Sinha's Rajjo in Dabangg, will return to Dabangg 3, part of which is a prequel to the first edition.
After Salman Khan welcomed her to the Dabangg family, Saiee Manjrekar indeed ensured she feels at home when working on the franchise. The actor told mid-day that apart from featuring alongside father Mahesh Manjrekar in Dabangg 3, she will also share screen space with mother, Medha Manjrekar.
"The scene that I have with my father also features my mother, which makes it special. While shooting for it, I was bubbling with excitement. I was on set with my parents, working on a scene featuring all three of us. I couldn't have asked for anything better in my debut film," says Saiee adding that with Mahesh reprising his role of drunk alcoholic Haria, and father to Sonakshi Sinha's Rajjo, Khan suggested that Medha be roped in to play Haria's wife.
In an interview with a leading daily, Saiee Manjrekar had mentioned that she has aspired to become a neurosurgeon, as a kid. She happened to meet her mother's friend, who was a neurosurgeon. As a little kid, Saiee obviously had no idea what that big word meant, but she got to know from the person himself that he performs surgery on the brain.
That intrigued Saiee and she decided that she wanted to be a neurosurgeon, thinking she'll earn well and be able to buy a pink Rolls Royce for her mother, only to realise when she grew up that science was not her cup of tea.
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