We became fans of Manjari Fadnnis after her appearance in the 2008 rom-com Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. The actress, recently featured in the widely acclaimed OTT action-thriller, The Freelance. In an exclusive interview with Filmfare following the conclusion of the series, Manjari shared insights about the new season, her character, and more.

Tell us about your character in The Freelancer.

I’m playing this character called Murnal. She’s basically, as we have seen in part one, she is going through a lot herself. I think Mrunal Kamat’s character brings that humanness to Avinash Kamat’s character in the series. My character has a different journey altogether where she is mentally unstable. and because of something that had happened in the past, where she kind of still blames herself for the death of her child. They (Mrunal and Avinaash) have a very beautiful relationship like they have stood together through thick and thin.

You had a great rapport with Mohit Raina in The Freelancer.

I think I had a fantastic rapport with Mohit. He’s a really talented guy and such a warm person to talk to and I’m so happy for him. He’s doing so well for himself. He has this whole poker-face sense of humour and I really enjoyed working with him. He makes the space very comfortable for his co-actors and he’s warm and friendly and sweet to work with.

How hard was it for you to tap into the emotional side of the character?

It was very difficult because I did not know much about dissociative disorder before and what happens to a person and stuff. I had to take a little help from my counsellor. I had a word with her because she had a better knowledge of it. And kind of took a lot of tips from her, like understanding of what a person goes through, what happens apart from that of course I had to kind of take it all from, like how somebody who’s gone through my situation and what way that will affect her life and what her behaviour will be like. I hope I’ve been able to showcase what I had thought and prepared while I was preparing for this role. I had a great time preparing for this role.

What are you feeling since The Freelancer is coming to an end?

I’m really excited about the second part of this coming out because I think it was supposed to be one entire show, right? And it was broken into two parts and everything. And the first part got so much love from the audience. I am of course excited because I have not seen part two but I’ve read it in the script so I know what is going to happen. And it’s going to be a completely edge of the seat thriller.

Your character from Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na is still considered iconic…

I get so much love for playing Meghna. It’s just very overwhelming because this was a character I played like 15 years ago. And people still love it and still talk about it. And in fact, it’s become iconic. I think it has a lot to do with the way it was written by Abbas Tyrewala. I think it was a very beautifully written character. It became iconic also because it grew on people. It wasn’t like, you know, when the film was released it hadn’t got as much love. I mean there were like 50-60 per cent of people who absolutely loved Meghna and couldn’t understand why Jai left Meghna. While there were another 40 per cent of people who did not understand the character very much. They didn’t like her but over the years, as people have grown and they’ve seen the film again and again, I think people have understood her better. And they have related to her character better because they have had similar experiences in life which made them understand her better.

What’s next on the cards for you?

So next year, I’ll have this project called Pune Highway, which is likely to be released in the first half, hopefully. So that is a project I’m really looking forward to. It is directed by the director of Barot House, Bugs Bhargava and Rahul Dukuna. It has Jim Sarbh and Amit Sadh. I’m excited about an independent project called Chalti Rahe Zindagi. It was made with a lot of love, with a small crew during the lockdown, and that film has been getting a lot of love from festivals, in fact, we just got a special jury mention at the DC South Asian Film Festival. Then there’s this project by Abbas-Mustan called Penthouse.

The year at the movies has been rather eventful. Between blockbusters and content-driven films, a diverse range of movies have been released in theatres. Amidst the many movie trends, it can safely be said that filmmakers really took to cameo and guest appearances. These appearances featured some of the most impactful performances of 2023. Cameos are a great way to add a surprise element or tease crossovers within cinematic universes. For starters, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan had cameos in each other’s films from the YRF Spy Universe. Deepika Padukone then grabbed headlines as she lit up the screen with her presence in Jawan and Bobby Deol stole the spotlight in Animal. And these are just a handful of the cameos seen in films this year. Here are some of the trending cameos that turned out to be major screen-stealers in movies this year:

Salman Khan in Pathaan

Spirits were already high when Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback movie after a four-year hiatus from the big screen, arrived in cinemas. Fans already knew that Salman Khan’s Tiger will share screen space with SRK’s Pathaan in the action film. But nobody was prepared for the sheer star power and the bromance their sequence would unleash. Tiger arrives to get Pathaan out of a bind in an exhilarating train action set piece. At the end of the fight, the two sit together with their wounds. In a fun meta scene, Pathan suggests that it might be time to retire after all these years. To this, Tiger says, “Bachchon pe yeh sab nahi chhod sakte.” If the whistler-worthy entry wasn’t enough, this moment towards the end of the film sure was a winner.

Deepika Padukone in Jawan

The addition of Deepika Padukone to any ensemble cast is a recipe for success. In Shah Rukh Khan’s second movie of the year, Jawan, the actress had an extended cameo. Director Atlee makes full use of SRK and Deepika’s chemistry by introducing her as a key character. Deepika plays Aishwarya, Azad’s mother. While her wrestling scene in the trailer raised anticipation for her appearance, her role was a lot more emotionally loaded. Aishwarya finds herself wrongfully convicted. In jail, she gives birth to her son. The song Araraari Raaro is one of the most poignant depictions of a mother’s love. At the press event after the film’s release, SRK joked that he and Atlee tricked her into doing a full-fledged role in the name of a cameo. That’s just how impactful it was.

Sanjay Dutt in Jawan

The star-studded cast of Jawan had yet another addition in the form of Sanjay Dutt’s cameo. The actor is absolutely delightful as Officer Madhavan Naik. He arrives on a scooter wearing a white mundu. Amidst the high-stakes action, he has a deadline to return home for Onam Sadhya with his family. It’s as charming as it gets. Dutt was so good in his exciting cameo that the makers added another scene featuring the actor in the extended cut of Jawan that was released on OTT. It revealed that he had a larger part to play in Azad’s plans.

Shefali Shah in Neeyat

Shefali Shah and Vidya Balan, two acting powerhouses, have appeared together in Jalsa. A year after the film was released, Shah made a cameo appearance in Balan’s Neeyat. The detective drama did not win praise from critics but its closing moments grabbed attention. In it, Shefali Shah shows up and she has a way of taking over scenes. The film seems to suggest a team-up between Vidya and Shefali and who wouldn’t want to see that?

Shah Rukh Khan in Tiger 3

After Salman Khan’s cameo in Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan returned the favour with his scene-stealing presence in Tiger 3. His entry left fans ecstatic, further capitalising on SRK and Salman’s camaraderie on screen. The scene went viral in no time upon the film’s release. In fact, Emraan Hashmi who plays the antagonist in the film, admitted to watching the film for a second time in theatres just to witness the two stars on screen again. And the sentiment was echoed by the stars’ many fans.

Hrithik Roshan in Tiger 3

Bobby Deol in Animal

Bobby Deol played the violent and complex Abrar Haque in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal. The deaf and mute character goes up against Ranbir Kapoor’s character in the film in an explosive clash. Pictures of the two actors shirtless engaging in hand-to-hand combat went viral even before the film arrived in cinemas. While his portrayal of Abrar sparked criticism, Bobby delivered a passionate performance and easily stole the show with his brief cameo.

Vicky Kaushal in Dunki

Vicky Kaushal’s cameo in Dunki came as fresh proof that the actor can elevate any given frame in any given movie. In a film that is directed by Rajkumar Hirani and led by Shah Rukh Khan, the actor managed to be a major highlight. As Sukhee, he delivered a simple yet endearing performance. Kaushal brings his boy-next-door charm and sincerity to the character. His scenes won hearts as audiences called him one of the best aspects of the film.

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The explosives that had struck merchant ship MV Chem Pluto had detonated fully, experts who examined the remains have found. It was suspected that the ship, which returned to Mumbai yesterday with a huge gash on her stern, was struck by a drone 400 km off India’s west coast. Going by the remains of the attack vehicle, the experts who examined the ship today, have concluded that it was indeed a drone.

After sanitisation and preliminary analysis, which is now in Mumbai, Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists have said that the explosive charge on the drone “detonated completely causing extensive damage above waterline”.

“Remnants of projectile have been collected by the Indian Navy for further forensic analysis,” the Indian Navy told the media.

Consequent to the drone strike, India will now deploy warships, aircraft and other assets in the Indian Ocean to protect merchant vessels.

“In light of the recent maritime incidents in the Arabian Sea, IN has commenced focused maritime security operations in the region. The presence of IN warships and air surveillance in the region has been enhanced. Actions are being progressed in coordination with national maritime agencies towards ensuring safety of merchant marine in the region,” the Navy said.

Already, the Navy and the Indian Coast Guard have moved destroyers in the Arabian Sea. Three warships  — MV Mormugao, Kochi and Kolkata — and maritime patrol aircraft was deployed on Saturday soon after the UK Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, reported the drone attack.

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has been stepping up its attack on ships in the Red Sea shipping lane in retaliation to Israel’s air strikes in Gaza.

The MV Chem Pluto, though, was struck while passing Iran — the obvious conclusion from the situation has been vehemently denied by Iran.

The US Defence headquarters Pentagon has said the ship was hit by “a one-way attack drone fired from Iran”.

India will track down those behind attacks on Merchant Navy ships, “even from the depths of the sea” and take action against them, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said.

MV Chem Pluto, an oil tanker, had sailed from Saudi Arabia and was headed for Mangaluru in Karnataka when it was attacked.

A second oil tanker – the Gabon-registered MV Sai Baba, with 25 Indian crew members on board – was also attacked by a drone in the Southern Red Sea, Indian and American military officials have said.