Indeed,
for the young boy who studied at a government school in
Giddarbha in Faridkot district,
it has been a rather long—and
eventful journey. Today Maan shuttles between Mumbai and
his home in Patiala, making trips to his village where his
mother and brother still reside or a quick hop to Chandigarh,
where his sister lives. When he is in Mumbai, he's busy with
recordings and shoots (the team is currently working on its
fourth film Waris Shah—Ishq Da Waaris) and rest of
the time is spent travelling for shows.
While
in Mumbai, Mann manages to catch an odd English film at
Fame Adlabs opposite his office, but
if you happen to
catch him at home in Patiala, don't be surprised to find
him tucking into rajma chawal sitting cross-legged on a
manji, he warns. It's almost like living two lives. And
when we
ask him which he prefers—his answer is delivered in
his trademark poetic style: "I am a traveller. Put
me anywhere and I'll be fine"
As
Gurikk, Maan's 20-some-thing Eton-educated son, says, "Dad
is a true renunciate, a fakir. He is not at all fussy and
is extremely detached from material things. If he goes abroad
for a show and the organisers can't organise a suite for
him, he is the last person to complain." Manjeet confirms
that Maan still makes his own cup of tea in the morning,
in spite of having lived a life surrounded by servants
and domestic help.
Maan is completely at peace with himself and it shows. Cooperative
and relaxed for the photo shoot, he keeps spouting shers
and lines of Punjabi poetry. They are from a book he's had
since he was a child and he knows them by heart. Which is
why he also writes well. Manoj Punj, director of his three
productions, including Des Hoyaa Pardes for which Maan just
won the National Jury Award for Best Actor this year, says
the singer is the best Punjabi lyricist around.
Actor
Parmeet Sethi says, "He is a superstar not only
in the sense of being an actor or singer but also as a human
being. I have worked in many films but there have been very
few films where the producers have made me feel like a part
of their family—Gurdas and Manjeet are among that
select few. There's always home-cooked food, never outside
catering.
The Punjabiyat is pronounced when it comes to food and
the atmosphere is so relaxed I that you feel the shooting
is
almost just incidental."
We
understand what he means as we sit down for lunch brought
from Manjeet's home in Madh Island where
she prefers to live "it's
more open and green than the city". Maan stays with
her father and son in their 19th floor flat in Lokhandwala
Complex. The couple eats every day with several other staff
members who are family than employees.Besides , Punj, their
director, and Omkar Bhakri, their editor, there is Kanan
Dhawan, who Manjeet says is her foster mother (as well
as the executive producer of their films).