Manjrekar gets creative with 'City of Gold'

After two years, Bollywood filmmaker-actor Mahesh Manjrekar has returned to direction with crime thriller City of Gold. He says the film's subject is so compelling that it set his creative juices flowing all over again.

After two years, Bollywood filmmaker-actor Mahesh Manjrekar has returned to direction with crime thriller "City of Gold". He says the film's subject is so "compelling" that it set his "creative juices flowing all over again".

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"With 'City of Gold', I have finally found a subject that has got my creative juices flowing all over again. Only once in a blue moon you get such a compelling script and that too based on real life incidents. It was such a great concept that I got back to direction without any delay," Manjrekar, whose last directorial venture was "Deha", said in a statement.

"The film is a no holds barred look at the birth of the true underbelly and organised crime in Mumbai and at the mill workers who had to sacrifice everything so that the 21st century Mumbai of swanky malls and glittering multiplexes could be built," he added.

"City of Gold" marks DAR Private Limited's (DAR Media) entry into showbiz. DAR Media, a subsidiary of investment advisory and private equity firm DAR Capital Group, has signed a three-film deal with Majrekar.

The film's principal shooting is expected to be over by December end. Tentatively slated for a May 2010 release, the screenplay has been co-written by playwright Jayant Pawar and Manjrekar.

"City of Gold" will feature real mill workers along with some known film stars whose names are being kept under wraps.

Manjrekar said: "It's crucial to the vision of the movie -- the focus is on the story and not stars...at least in the initial days. I want to make sure that people understand the cruel paradox of the lives of these people and why they were compelled to make the choices they made."

During his sabbatical from direction, Manjrekar was keeping busy with acting, writing and production. His last movie "Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy", proved to be the most commercially successful Marathi film till date.