‘Maska’ is about preserving your culture: Manisha Koirala

Actor Manisha Koirala says her slice-of-life film Maska is about staying true to one’s roots.

The movie marks Manisha’s second project with Netflix. She will also be seen in another film from the streamer Freedom , which will reunite her with Dibakar Banerjee who directed her in Netflix anthology series Lust Stories .

Maska traces the journey of a confused, young millennial, Rumi (Prit Kamani) who sets out to fulfil his dream of becoming a movie star until a summer romance with a clear-headed girl helps him discover the fine line between dreams and delusions.

In the film, Manisha, 49, plays Diana, a single mother who expects her son, Rumi to follow in his late father (Jaaved Jaaferi)’s footsteps and take over his Irani cafe.

The whole theme (of the film) is to preserve the culture, the values and heritage and not get baffled away as then you are losing the identity or something that is precious. I believe in holding on to your culture and heritage and preserving that, the actor told PTI in an interview.

Manisha, who plays a Parsi character in the film, said she worked hard to get the nuances right.

In order to portray her part authentically, she said, I had a diction coach, who was Parsi. She helped me a lot: she took me to the Irani Cafe, helped me connect with the Parsi community, shared the history of the people and their contribution to Mumbai. I also saw some films which helped me understand my character better.

The actor said Maska is a story which has something for both younger and older generations.

It is a relatable story for today’s generation in terms of ambition, dreams, confusion and struggle. Also, it’s very relatable for the elderly who want to put their kids on the right path and how the conflict of that, she said.

The film also features Nikita Dutta and marks the acting debut of YouTube sensation Shirley Setia.

“Maska” will stream from March 27 and is directed by debutant Neeraj Udhwani, who has served as writer on films such as Mere Dad Ki Maruti and Dil To Baccha Hai Ji .