Mahesh Manjrekar

**Mahesh Vaman Manjrekar**, born on 16th August 1958, is a renowned Indian actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has predominantly worked in Hindi films, Marathi, Telugu, and Bhojpuri films. Manjrekar's contribution to the film industry started in 1975 and he has been active till the present day. His directorial ventures have earned him critical acclaim, particularly for films like *Vaastav: The Reality (1999)*, *Astitva (2000)*, and *Viruddh... Family Comes First (2005)*. Manjrekar's work has earned him a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi for *Astitva* and two Star Screen Awards. Aside from his acting and directing endeavors, he has also been the host of the reality show, *Bigg Boss Marathi* since 2018. The actor's career is filled with notable performances in various films, including his portrayal of negative roles in *Arrambam (2013)*, *Okkadunnadu (2007)*, and as *the gangster Javed* in the film *Slumdog Millionaire (2008)*. He was even involved in Indian politics, running as an MNS candidate from Mumbai North West in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, though he was not elected.