Mumbai, Oct 20 (IANS): Actor Brijendra Kala, known for his performances in Hindi movies such as ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhaan’ and ‘Gulaabo Sitaabo’, essays the role of a librarian in his latest feature film ‘Mandali’.

Talking about his character in the film, the actor said: "My character is a librarian named Naushad who also supports Mandali behind the scenes with technical things. Although he is a Muslim character, he is someone who is heavily immersed in the Ramleela plays.”

Elaborating on this point, he said that the character was in fact a product of director Rakesh Chaturvedi Om’s own real-life experiences, showing a ground reality of society.

Brijendra said: “This character is not just placed in the film to show diversity for the sake of it, but is actually inspired by people that our director, Rakesh ji, has seen in real life. This is the beauty of this film because it mirrors the reality of our society."

Narrating one of the focal points of the film, Brijendra added: "The film focuses on how a few corrupt influential individuals, utilise Rameela and their artistes to influence the masses from small towns to sway them. It's a highly debated subject, yet crucial to discuss. The story centres on how emotions related to faith are exploited to garner support from the community."

The ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ alum during the shoot took a stroll down memory lane. As the film was shot in his hometown of Mathura, the actor was reminded of his own childhood days when he used to watch the Ramleela plays in his locality.

Detailing this point, he recalled his shooting experience: "It was a fabulous experience shooting in Mathura. It’s my hometown and the story really attracted me, because I used to watch Ramleela performances in my childhood. So shooting this film reminded me of my childhood days in the most joyous and memorable way. I truly relived my childhood."

‘Mandali’ is a political-drama film which is helmed by director Rakesh Chaturvedi Om. The film stars Rajniesh Duggall, Aanchal Munjal, Abhishek Duhan in prominent roles.

Produced by Prashant Kumar Gupta, Geetika Gupta and Neetu Sabarwal. The film also stars an ensemble cast of Vineet Kumar, Kanwaljeet Singh, Alka Amin, Ashwath Bhatt, Saharsh Shukla and Neeraj Sood, the movie will hit theatres on October 27, 2023.