Anurag Kashyap explains why his toughest female characters are always named 'Manjri': 'Rani Mukerji in Naayak, Raveena Tandon in Shool...'

For Anurag Kashyap, the strongest women in his films always share something in common—a name. Every time a female character shows strength, courage, or quiet power, she is called Manjri. And according to the filmmaker, it’s no coincidence.

The inspiration behind the name

The filmmaker told NDTV that he takes the name from his mother, Manjiri, a homemaker who now lives with his father in Varanasi. Kashyap said, "Whenever I have a strong female character, she's always been called Manjri."Elaborating further, he added, "In Nayak, Rani Mukerji was called Manjri. In Shool, Raveena Tandon was called Manjri. I'm just not imaginative enough to give any other name. She keeps it all together. And she's extremely sensitive as well."

On directing Virat Kohli’s biopic

In another interview with Filmygyan, Kashyap opened up about the possibility of directing Virat Kohli's biopic. He said, "I don't know if I would want to because he's already a hero to many people, to many children. If I have to do a biopic, I would choose a difficult subject, a person's life."He further added, “He is a very beautiful man. I know him personally, and he is a very authentic human being. He is very emotional, he is an incredible person.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s appreciation

Kashyap also revealed how Shah Rukh Khan has always reached out personally to appreciate his work. “When he likes something, I get a call. I got a call to Sacred Games and AK vs AK,” the filmmaker recalled.Meanwhile, Aaishvary Thackeray makes his debut in his upcoming film Nishaanchi. It also stars Vedika Pinto, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Kumud Mishra.