Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 15, 2014)

Mahesh Manjrekar’s son Satya is gearing up for his first lead role. The story of the Marathi film, titled Janiva, revolves around five friends.

 “My character, Sameer Deshpande, is a fun-loving teenager. But the film has a strong social message which I cannot reveal now,” says Satya, who as a seven-year-old had acted in the Shahid Kapoor starrer, Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! and then when he was 16 he was seen in his father’s directorial Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy.

The film will be directed by Rajesh Ranshinge and is scheduled to roll on March 3. “I was surprised and happy when Rajesh signed me. There’s a lot of singing and dancing and some mara maari too! I’ve been taking dance classes for the last one year and dad is teaching me the nuances of acting. It was a great learning experience working with him in Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy. He is such a natural actor and a perfectionist when it comes to direction,” gushes the 20-year-old.

 His sister Sai has also acted in Kaksparsh, another Marathi film directed by his father. “At 12 she keeps changing her mind about her choice of career but I’ve decided I’ll become an actor,” asserts Satya, hoping that his father will cast him in a Hindi film soon.