Producer & Creator Mansi Bagla’s Drive to Back Films That Make Noise: Forensic to Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan
Mumbai: In an era where filmmakers and producers lean towards films for audience, box office performance, and commercial advantages, Mansi Bagla is solely emphasising emotions, thrill, and purely impact-driven storylines that justify the audience’s intent to visit the theatres or press play on OTT platforms. Though she makes selective choices of films to produce, she breathes life into novel plots, offers opportunities to fresh talent, and serves something entirely different for the audiences to remember.
In 2022, Mansi produced Forensic, an engaging thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with each twist & turn and suspense. While many would expect a female producer to play it safe with predictable plots, Mansi proved that she’s not someone who’d like to walk that path. Through her own banner, Mini Films, she backed a film that got the audience tingling about thrilling plots. At times when predictable romances and actioners were dominating the screens, viewers found Forensic as a breath of fresh air. Earlier, the term ‘forensic’ was widely used in CID, but after the release of the Vikrant Massey starrer, it received wide acceptance among the audience.
Things were never easy for Mansi Bagla, but she kept defying the odds. From humble beginnings as a homemaker to stepping into films as a producer, backing an unpredictable film like Forensic and getting a production banner named after her nickname ‘Mini’, Mansi has come far as a professional filmmaker without any Godfather or industry support. Further, she has also carved her space in the fashion world by walking the ramp for Neeta Lulla and Shaina NC at the well-known Bombay Times Fashion Week. Despite gaining prominence as a mindful producer and creator and establishing her mettle, Mansi chooses to stay away from the camera flashes, and instead, she likes to dedicate herself to the religion of art – Films.
In the current era, where the essence of love is fading away and the new generation is finding it challenging to understand the precious feeling, Mansi returned to the screens with her latest release, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, as its creator and writer. Through Mini Films, she wrote and backed a musical love story purely layered with emotions, heart, life, longing, and focused on the thin line between love and romance. When filmmakers latched onto the trend of massy projects and unbelievably larger-than-life spectacles, Mansi Bagla cleared the air by tapping into something deep and realistic – emotions. She eliminated the extra drama and fuss and bankrolled a film that simply made the viewers feel.
She took the bold step by launching fresh face Shanaya Kapoor and pairing her with the dynamic star, Vikrant Massey. A risky combination at first – but the positive reception proved that the risk paid off! When producers were thinking twice to create love stories due to box-office volatility, Mansi proved that well-written and well-executed love stories pay off! After seeing that audiences are returning to the theatres to experience love the Bollywood way, many filmmakers are now walking on the path – with a string of romantic spectacles already released and many in the pipeline. Going by the changing times and the return of romance to the screens, it’d be safe to say that Mansi Bagla bridged the mindset gap.
Thrillers make the audience stay curious about films, and romances unite people. Considering that Mansi Bagla has tapped into both spaces, she’s proven that she understands the language of the new-age audience and is keen on being the creative mind behind films that speak volumes. On the workfront, Mansi has an interesting pipeline or work coming up next. Currently, she is working on scripts and polishing them to ignite the screens once again!
