Manjunath is an Indian drama film written and directed by Sandeep A. Varma based on the true story of Manjunath Shanmugam, the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow graduate who was killed in Lakhimpur, U.P., in November 2005,[2][3] for his stand against corruption and fuel adulteration.

[4] In the hinterland of Uttar Pradesh 27-year-old Manjunath Shanmugam is a student at the state-of-the-art campus of the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM-L).

I'd thought he'd be idealistic, preachy, etc but he was interesting, very ordinary in the sense of how we used to be in college, he made mistakes, was a musician – basically very cinematic.

Secondly, also that the people fighting his case, did not know him, were not doing it for glory or money, just strangers, taking on something thousands of miles away, just because they were inspired by what he did.

Sandeep and his crew had a close shave with a few corrupt petrol pump owners whilst shooting which forced him to choose the cover story.

“Unlike the collective memory of the rest of the country, Manjunath’s story is still alive in Uttar Pradesh.

We didn’t want to put the 100-crew unit at risk,” said director Sandeep A. Varma, in an interview with The Indian Express.

[10] Critic Taran Adarsh gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and states that, "Manjunath is a film that is realistic, brave and powerful.

[11] Critic Subhash K. Jha also gave 3.5 stars out of 5 saying, "The director pieces together Manjunath's story like Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.

[12] For The Times of India, Renuka Vyavahare wrote, "One of the least promoted films of the week, Manjunath pleasantly surprises you with its thought-provoking, hard-hitting content and earnest execution.

[13] Rajeev Masand for IBN Live gave it a rating of 3/5, calling it "An important story that deserves to be heard.

The atmospherics are delightful, and so are the nuances (right from Manjunath's nerdy dressing sense to his worn-out steering wheel cover).

[15] Rahul Desai for Mumbai Mirror wrote, "The sign of a good biopic, like a documentary, is its current relevance and ability to transcend flaws, as well as the first emotion it elicits from viewers.

I felt wronged, and grew stronger as things progressed, only to be shaken by the truth of how relatable Manjunath's psychological struggle was.

The tragic part is that Manjunath wasn't a hero; he only had his eyes open in an unrelenting world."

[16] Paloma Sharma for Rediff.com gave it 3 stars out of 5 and said, "Several scenes even take place from beyond the grave and this turn of events ruins the fast-paced, crisply edited aspect of the film and hence, the early promise it showed.

That said though, Manjunath is a brave film, like the man it is based on, as it openly takes on the issue of caste and class – an everyday discrimination that the protagonist faced.

[19] To create awareness, &Pictures organised on-ground events at notable colleges as such IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Indore, IIM Lucknow and St. Andrew's College, Mumbai, where a panel discussion was held on the topic “Are heroes like Manjunath ‘brave’ or ‘stupid’ in doing what they do?” The panelists included the film's director Sandeep A. Varma; Raghavendran Shanmugam (Manjunath's brother); cast members from the movie like Sasho Satiiysh, Yashpal Sharma and Rajesh Khattar; notable government officials and IPS officers; and faculty members from the institutes.