More than five decades after becoming one of Indian cinema’s most unforgettable faces, Mac Mohan is now getting a deeply personal documentary made by his own daughters. Filmmaker Manjari Makijany, known for projects like Skater Girl and Spin, is officially directing Discovering Sambha, a feature documentary based on her father’s life and legacy. The project was announced during the Cannes Film Festival and already sounds far more emotional and intimate than a typical celebrity documentary. Instead of only celebrating Mac Mohan’s film career, the documentary wants to understand the man behind the iconic screen image audiences grew up watching for decades.
The film is being produced by Manjari’s sister Vinati Makijany, and the project has been set up as an official India-Australia co-production. Production is expected to begin later this year, while the makers are currently aiming for a 2027 release. According to the early details shared at Cannes, the documentary will combine old archival footage, personal memories, industry stories and unseen family material to paint a fuller picture of Mac Mohan’s journey both on and off screen. The emotional angle seems to be the main focus here, especially because the daughters themselves are rediscovering parts of their father’s life through the filmmaking process.
The Man Behind Sambha Finally Gets His Own Story
Even today, Mac Mohan remains best remembered for playing Sambha in Sholay, despite the role having limited screen time. Somehow that quiet, intimidating character became permanently attached to Indian pop culture and turned his name into something audiences across generations still instantly recognize. But beyond “Sholay,” Mac Mohan appeared in more than 280 films across a career that lasted over 50 years. Some of his biggest projects included Don, Shaan, Karz, Zanjeer and Satte Pe Satta.
The documentary also has support from respected film preservationist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder of the Film Heritage Foundation. Dungarpur, whose organisation recently restored “Sholay,” joined the project as an advisor and praised Mac Mohan’s ability to leave a lasting impression regardless of how small or large his role was. According to him, the actor built his own fan following during an era dominated by massive Bollywood heroes, something very few character actors managed to achieve at that time.
Manjari Makijany Says the Film Became Personal Healing
For director Manjari Makijany, the documentary appears to be much more than just a professional project. Speaking during the announcement, she admitted that most of the world only knew her father as Sambha, while she herself is still discovering new sides of him through people who knew him before she was born. She described the film as one of the most cathartic experiences of her career so far, saying the process involves piecing together memories, emotional absences and forgotten stories alongside her sister. That deeply personal perspective may end up becoming the documentary’s strongest element because it goes beyond nostalgia and enters family territory that audiences rarely get to see honestly.
Vinati Makijany also shared emotional thoughts about the project and said their father belonged to audiences long before he belonged to them personally. According to her, the documentary is meant to feel emotionally truthful and relatable not only for Bollywood fans but also for anyone trying to reconnect with family memories or understand a parent better through storytelling. That universal emotional angle could help the film connect with viewers even outside India, especially because themes like legacy, memory and family identity are something almost everybody relates to.
The documentary has already received support from several industry names connected to Mac Mohan’s life and career. Raveena Tandon, who is also Mac Mohan’s niece, remembered him as a warm-hearted and graceful person despite often playing villains onscreen. Meanwhile, Shehzad Sippy from Sippy Films said Sambha remains one of the most recognizable characters in Indian cinema history and praised the daughters for revisiting the story in such an intimate and respectful way.
The project is being developed under Asia Pacific Pictures and Mac Productions, while producer Emmanuel Pappas is also attached to the documentary. If everything moves on schedule, “Discovering Sambha” could easily become one of the most emotional and important documentaries connected to classic Bollywood cinema in recent years.
