Cannes 2026: Manjari Makijany to direct documentary on her father Mohan Makijany titled 'Discovering Sambha'
Cannes, May 23
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Manjari Makijany is set to direct 'Discovering Sambha,' a feature documentary on her father, Indian actor Mohan Makijany, reported Variety. The project is structured as an official India-Australia co-production and was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival 2026.
Acording to the outlet, the production of the film is set to begin later this year and a release targeted for 2027. The documentary will draw on archival material, family recollections and reflections from colleagues, exploring themes of identity, legacy and the relationship between cinema and personal memory.
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder and director of the Film Heritage Foundation, which restored "Sholay" recently, has joined as an advisor.
"Mac Mohan has a fan following of his own as much as the heroes of his day. No matter how big or small the role, he left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of the people who continue to watch these films even today and remember him and the roles he played with great fondness," Dungarpur said as quoted by Variety.
Manjari Makijany leads Asia Pacific Pictures alongside producer Emmanuel Pappas ("Maya"), a banner focused on film, documentary and television projects across Australia, India and the wider Asia Pacific region. Vinati Makijany ("The Theory of Spice") runs Mac Productions, the company originally established by Mac Mohan.
The director Manjari Makijany called the making of the documentary on her father Mohan a "cathartic process of filmmaking." She described the documentary as a story about "rediscovering the man I miss the most, my father."
"For much of the world, my father was Sambha. There's so much to him that I'm still discovering through people that knew him before me. This may be the most cathartic process of filmmaking for me. As a daughter, I'm piecing together memories, absences, and emotions with my sister that shaped our lives and influenced my own filmmaking journey. This film is an intimate story about rediscovering the man I miss the most, my father," director Manjari Makijany said as quoted by Variety.
"Our father belonged to audiences long before he belonged to us. Through this documentary we hope to create something emotionally honest and universally relatable, not only for people who grew up with 'Sholay,' but for anyone who has ever tried to understand a parent, preserve a legacy, or reconnect with family history through memory and storytelling," producer Vinati Makijany added as quoted by Variety.
Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon, Mac Mohan's niece, called the actor a "warm hearted" person. "Mohan mama carried so much grace and humility. His presence filled every room with laughter and stories. Though he played the quintessential baddie on screen, he was a golden-hearted senor and one of the warmest people you could know in real life. I'm proud of what Manjari and Vinati are doing. They are not just preserving the legacy of an actor, but the spirit of the man we all knew behind the screen. This documentary will allow audiences to discover a side of him that was personal, emotional, and beautifully human," as quoted by Variety.
Mac Mohan built a career spanning more than 50 years and over 280 films, among them "Don," "Shaan," "Karz," "Zanjeer," "Satte Pe Satta," "Trishul," "Khoon Pasina," "Rafoo Chakkar" and "Khuddar." He earned lasting cultural recognition as Sambha, the laconic henchman in Ramesh Sippy's 1975 blockbuster "Sholay," a role that has kept his name a household word across generations.
— ANI
Reader Comments
A much-needed project. Bollywood often overlooks its character actors while celebrating the leads. Mac Mohan's Sambha is immortal—every time Sholay airs on Doordarshan, a new generation falls in love with that calm but menacing presence. The fact that his daughter is now discovering him through colleagues is so touching. Manjari, please include those BTS stories from the Sholay set!
The India-Australia co-production angle is interesting—hope it gets a wide release here too, not just festival circuits. Also, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's involvement as an advisor gives it credibility. The man has done wonders for film preservation. This could be a beautiful mix of personal memoir and film history. 🎬
Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical. Documentaries about famous fathers sometimes end up as family photo albums rather than real films. But Manjari Makijany's past work (like 'The Tree of Knowledge') shows she has the chops to balance personal and universal. Let's see if she can avoid the hagiography trap and show us the real man behind Sambha—flaws and all.
I remember watching Sholay on a bootleg VHS in Mumbai as a kid. Sambha was the most terrifying character—the way he said "Kitne aadmi the?" with that deadpan expression. It's fascinating how a 50-year-old film still resonates. This documentary feels like a global recognition of Indian cinema's depth. Kudos to the team for taking this to Cannes.
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