The 47-year-old actor, who will be seen essaying the role of marathon star Budhia Singh's coach in "Budhia Singh - Born To Run," says be it an actor or an athlete, India lacks the system to discover a talent and nurture it.
"We in our country lack the system to find talent and promote or train them. The problem is we don't consider the talent when he/she is in process.
"Budhia Singh- Born To Run" is based on the life a child from Odisha, who was listed as the world's youngest marathon runner in the Limca book of records.
Manoj says when they were making the biopic, they were keen to promote Budhia as well.
"As an actor or a filmmaker this is the best we can do to get support for the film as well as Budhia, who is left alone without a coach, without a mentor, without any direction. He is dying to train today," he says.
The actor believes filmmakers should unite to fight arbitrary suggestions by the censor board.
"The battle with CBFC is not new, it has always been there. With every chairperson the way changes. At the end of the day, we have to look at the board and the significance of it.
Manoj says he has faith in the Shyam Benegal committee and
hopes the government will implement his recommendations soon.
"I feel the whole system of CBFC is not right in the democracy. But classifying films is something that should be done. Shyam Benegal recommendations I feel would do lots of good. The kind of recommendations which came out are very good and Benegal himself is a modern thinking man.
Apart from the government, Manoj also expects the film fraternity to come together for each and every film like they did for "Udta Punjab".
"Industry needs to come together for every wrong that happens to every film. I was against how 'Udta Punjab' was treated and I am equally hassled with how 'Saat Uchakke' is stuck. We as fraternity should come together every time.
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