I concur that conducting such obscene dances at Ramleela celebration is very inappropriate - Kanwaljeet Singh

Actor Kanwaljeet Singh, who is best known for his work in Ishq e Nadaan, Saans, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, to name a few, along with many TV shows and Punjabi films, opens up about his working experience in film Mandali - first ever film based on Ramleela premise.

Helmed by director Rakesh Chaturvedi Om, it stars Rajniesh Duggall, Brijendra Kala, Aanchal Munjal, Abhishek Duhan and Vineet Kumar in prominent roles, the film released last week. Recently, the film also got selected for the Indian Panorama Section, 54th IFFI, 2023.

Kanwaljeet said, "Shooting the film in Mathura was a joyous experience. Coming from a small town, I am very much aware of Ramleela, and I used to go and watch it in my childhood days. This is how I was able to relate to the film so well."

Talking about the film's subject, he added, "I concur that conducting such obscene dances at a Ramleela celebration is highly inappropriate, given that it is a solemn event honoring the triumphant homecoming of Lord Rama."

Sharing about what prompted him to take up the role, he mentioned, "I have never done anything so rooted in the culture and ethos of Ramleela. It is something that is very much connected and relatable to people. I am not usually happy to play mythological characters, but this film was not about mythology; it was based on the premises of Ramleela, which is why I took it. Because what happens with mythology is that the characters often become caricaturish and are not done well. So, I like to play normal characters, and this film talks about it in a very simple, everyday way."

Sharing his joy about the film getting selected for IFFI, he added, "I'm sure people will enjoy and relate to it. Also, having our film selected for IFFI is a moment of pride for the whole team. It is a very happy moment. The film comes from a very humble background, so being selected with so many great films is a huge thing for us."

Produced by Prashant Kumar Gupta, Geetika Gupta and Neetu Sabarwal of Reltic Pictures, the film also stars an ensemble cast of Alka Amin, Ashwath Bhatt, Saharsh Shukla and Neeraj Sood.