CANNES: Emmy-nominated filmmaker Manjari Makijany is set to direct Discovering Sambha, a feature documentary on her father, veteran Indian actor Mac Mohan, according to Variety. The project, structured as an official India–Australia co-production, was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival 2026.
Production is scheduled to begin later this year, with a release targeted for 2027. The documentary will draw on archival footage, family recollections and testimonies from colleagues, exploring themes of identity, legacy, and the intersection between cinema and personal memory.
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder and director of the Film Heritage Foundation, who recently worked on the restoration of Sholay, has joined the project as an advisor.
“As much as the heroes of his time, Mac Mohan had a fan following of his own. No matter how big or small the role, he left an indelible mark on audiences who continue to remember him with great fondness,” Dungarpur said, as quoted by Variety.
Manjari Makijany, who leads Asia Pacific Pictures alongside producer Emmanuel Pappas (Maya), described the project as a deeply personal and cathartic experience. “For much of the world, my father was Sambha. There is so much to him I am still discovering through people who knew him before me. This is an emotional process of rediscovering the man I miss the most, my father,” she said.
Producer Vinati Makijany (The Theory of Spice) added that the film aims to present an intimate yet universal story. “Our father belonged to audiences long before he belonged to us. Through this documentary, we hope to explore memory, legacy and the experience of understanding a parent through storytelling,” she said.
Actor Raveena Tandon, Mac Mohan’s niece, described him as a warm and gracious presence off screen, noting that while he often portrayed antagonists in films, he was deeply loved within the industry. She praised the Makijany family for preserving not only his cinematic legacy but also his personal story.
Mac Mohan’s career spanned over five decades and more than 280 films, including Don, Shaan, Karz, Zanjeer, Satte Pe Satta, Trishul, Khoon Pasina, Rafoo Chakkar and Khuddar. He remains best known for his iconic role as Sambha, the taciturn henchman in Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 classic Sholay, a performance that continues to resonate with audiences across generations.
(With inputs from ANI)