EXCLUSIVE: Actor Saiee Manjrekar has been part of the film industry from a young age, but she says her journey as a performer has been shaped by her own experiences and choices.
After making her Hindi film debut with Dabangg 3, Saiee went on to explore projects across different industries and languages. Her upcoming project, The India House, marks another important chapter in her career, with the actor set to play Sati, a young woman determined to take charge of her own life.
In a recent interview with Variety India, Saiee spoke about her role in The India House, working with Nikhil Siddhartha, her admiration for Anupam Kher, the lessons she learnt from her parents and the pressure actors face to alter their appearance.
Saiee Manjrekar on Playing Sati in The India House
Speaking about her character, Saiee described Sati as a determined young woman with strong ambitions.
“Sati is a strong-headed girl who wants to do much with her life and eventually does that,” she said.
The actor revealed that she joined the project through a casting company before discussions progressed to scheduling and filming. One of the early shooting schedules took place in Hampi.
Saiee also spoke warmly about sharing screen space with actor Nikhil Siddhartha.
“It was amazing sharing screen space with Nikhil Siddhartha. He’s such a kind person,” she said.
The actor is also looking forward to filming scenes with veteran performer Anupam Kher. The two previously worked together in Kuch Khatta Ho Jaay.
“I know him as a giving actor,” Saiee said, recalling that Kher had previously offered advice and support during scenes.
“I’m Excited to Meet Ram Charan”
The India House has also generated interest because of its association with Ram Charan as a producer.
Saiee revealed that she had not met the star during the schedule she was shooting at the time of the interview but said she was looking forward to meeting him.
“I’m actually really excited to meet him once. I want to pick his brain about his journey and experiences,” she said.
Working Across Hindi and Telugu Cinema
Saiee has worked across different language industries and says she does not see dramatic differences in filmmaking beyond the natural influence of language and local culture.
“I don’t think there’s much difference beyond language and cultural integration,” she said.
She noted that the Telugu film industry often feels strongly connected to its cultural environment, including the language spoken on sets and local food.
In more linguistically diverse work environments, she observed, English often becomes a common language that helps people from different backgrounds communicate.
How Dabangg 3 Changed Her Life
Saiee made her Hindi film debut in Dabangg 3, appearing opposite Salman Khan at a very young age.
Looking back, she described the experience as significant because she was only 16 and still attending school when she began her acting career.
“I’ll start with what impact Dabangg 3 had on me. It was huge because I was only 16 and still in school,” she said.
Although she grew up in a family closely connected to cinema, with actor and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar as her father and actor Medha Manjrekar as her mother, Saiee said her parents had largely kept her away from the industry during her childhood.
She described herself as a studious child and said working with Salman Khan was a comfortable experience.
“Working with Salman Khan was a treat because I had a good level of comfort with him,” she said.
The “Friday-to-Friday” Lesson From Her Father
Growing up around film sets gave Saiee an early glimpse into the realities of the industry.
She recalled travelling to different parts of Maharashtra because of her father’s shoots and experiencing life beyond Mumbai while visiting places including Bhor, Konkan and Guhagar.
Those experiences also shaped some of her earliest memories of film production.
Saiee remembered how her mother would sometimes prepare food for crew members on a traditional chulha, while the family formed friendships with local people in the places where her father was working.
But one of the most important lessons came from Mahesh Manjrekar’s advice about the unpredictable nature of the entertainment business.
“He always told me that it is a ‘Friday-to-Friday’ industry, so I should not take success to my head,” Saiee said.
The advice extended to dealing with setbacks as well.
She said she was taught not to dwell too heavily on failure because fortunes in the film industry can change quickly.
The most important values she was encouraged to follow, she added, were hard work, honesty and integrity.
Saiee Manjrekar on Working in Marathi Cinema
Despite her strong connection to Marathi culture and cinema, Saiee said she has not actively rejected Marathi projects.
For her, language is not a barrier.
“I’ve never thought that language is a barrier,” she said, adding that she would welcome the opportunity to work in a project that allows her to perform in her mother tongue.
The actor said she had not yet received a Marathi project that aligned with the kind of work she wanted to pursue but would be eager to consider the right opportunity.
Her Favourite Female Marathi Film Characters
Saiee also spoke about her admiration for Marathi cinema and its memorable female characters.
Among the films she mentioned was Natsamrat, a project directed by her father and featuring her mother.
She clarified that her admiration was not based on family association but on the strength of the character and performance.
Her mother’s character in the film, she said, remains one of her favourite female roles in Marathi cinema because of the way it was portrayed.
On the Pressure Actors Face Over Their Appearance
In the age of social media, actors face intense scrutiny over their appearance, with beauty standards and public commentary often becoming part of everyday professional life.
Saiee Manjrekar’s views on the issue point to a larger conversation within the entertainment industry about the pressure placed on performers to conform to constantly changing expectations.
The expectation that actors, particularly women, should continually alter their appearance has increasingly become a subject of discussion in cinema and popular culture.
For performers building their careers in an environment shaped by social media, fashion trends and constant public scrutiny, the conversation around appearance can carry significant weight.
Saiee’s perspective adds to the growing debate about allowing actors to develop their careers without treating physical transformation as a compulsory measure of success.
Looking Ahead
With The India House adding another project to her filmography, Saiee Manjrekar continues to explore opportunities across industries and languages.
From beginning her career at the age of 16 with Dabangg 3 to working with actors across Hindi and South Indian cinema, her journey has been marked by gradual exploration.
Her experiences growing up around filmmaking may have introduced her to the world of cinema early, but the actor’s professional journey is now being shaped by her own choices, roles and ambitions.
As she continues to take on new projects, Saiee’s approach reflects a perspective she learnt early at home: success and failure can change quickly, but commitment to the craft, honesty and hard work remain constants.
