Natha Returns

His performance as Natha in Peepli [Live won him several awards but after all the offers that came his way post the success of his debut in 2010,Omkar Das Manikpuri took time before signing another film. Now,his next movie,MLA,is set to release in India on May 24,and will also be screened at the New York International Film Festival later this month.

Manikpuri,who shifted to Mumbai after Peepli [Live,plays a farmer,Shankar Kaka,in the film that is being directed by debuntant Shiv Dube. Set in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhaglipur village,MLA revolves around the story of the son of an industrialist,who returns to India after studying in the US. He plans to set up a milk factory in the village. “However,a corrupt MLA attempts to derail his plan by coaxing the villagers into rebelling against the factory. Shankar Kaka is an influential figure in the village,believes otherwise and tries to help the industrialist’s son,” explains the actor. While he showed immense promise in his debut role,his second film threatens to typecast him.

But Manikpuri refutes this: “I played a subdued farmer in Peepli [Live. Here,I am aggressive and influential,” he points out. After MLA,Manikpuri will be seen in Kasamh Se Kasamh Se,which also has Rakhi Sawant in the cast.