Yashpal Sharma's villainous act in Manjunath

He has played myriad onscreen roles right from the much despised villain (Gangaajal) to an honest police officer a (Rowdy Rathore) all with great élan. Mostly notorious (not literally) for his negative roles, Yashpal Sharma is back with yet another grey shade character. The actor will be seen essaying the role of the lead villain ‘Golu’ in Manjunath which is a biopic based on the tale of a young IIM- Lucknow graduate Manjunath Shanmugham. And this trained actor did impress the film’s director Sandeep Varma not only with his powerful acting histrionics but also with his wise inputs. “Yashpal told me that the character needed some enhancement and together we rewrote Golu’s journey, envisioning the integrity of a villain’s character who is a central part of the film”, says Sandeep Offering more insights on Yashpal’s role, Sandeep says, “Golu is a petrol pump owner, who lives in Lakhimpur Kheri, Lucknow. He is a family man with great ambition, but is impatient about life. He thinks everyone and everything can be bought, until he meets Manjunath. He calls Manjunath his ‘friend’, but the IIM graduate refuses to support Golu when he makes the wrong choices. According to him, everyone has a ‘price’, but he cannot comprehend what Manjunath wants him to pay.” Sandeep is all praise for Yashpal who he feels has contributed in more ways than just his mere acting. “Yashpal has supported the Manjunath team with his valuable insights into making the villain’s role powerful and believable,” remarks a beaming Sandeep. Manjunath is inspired by the true story of a boy in Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh who fought the fuel mafia and was brutally killed in 2005. The film is slated to be released on 9 May 2014.