Debuting as a promising young star in Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi (2004), Manasi Parekh quickly laid a foundation of the talents she brought as an actress. She journeyed across multiple regions, establishing her mark in various cinema, be it Tamil and then her Bollywood debut with Uri: The Surgical Strike.
There’s a certain energy she exudes, the passion with which she defines her experiences, and the gratitude she bestows upon the people who welcomed her with open arms. Manasi’s ambitions speak volumes of the driving force behind her work ethics, showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. A National Award winner among many other accolades across her long-spanning career, Manasi Parekh takes us on a calm walk through her life.
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
You winning the National Award was a validation of a long journey. Looking back at the Manasi who started out in television, what do you think she was doing right that eventually brought her here?
I think the Mansi that started her career on television never really took any opportunity for granted, even if it was small. Everything was considered to be a learning curve, even my mistakes and my failures. They taught me a lot, and I never defined myself as a television actor or a model. I did not slot myself. I kept my identity fluid. I am an artist, is what I have always maintained.
I have always believed in honing my craft and getting better, in working with people who change me, who make me evolve, who are better than me. And hence, over the years, this journey cumulatively got me to the National Award, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had this amazing journey.
Because if I can do it after my marriage, after becoming a mother, after producing my own film and winning it for my own film, as a producer and as an actor, then I think it’s a big deal. So, I am very, very fortunate.
In Chumbak, you play Priyanka and as a character she’s talkative, chaotic, funny, opinionated and deeply embedded in her family. Is it more difficult to ace a comic role than a dramatic one?
I wouldn’t be literally dramatic and say drama is easy and comedy is very difficult. But yes, comedy definitely is more complex because it’s tougher to make people laugh. Having said that, I love comedy and drama equally.
And Priyanka’s entire character, which was written by Atish Kapadia, was so layered and nuanced. It’s given me so many shades to perform as an actor, and I just love the fact that such roles are written, such a role has been written for me, because it’s very rare that you get characters like this, you know, that stay in people’s minds, that stay in people’s lingles. ‘Boliye, boliye’ has literally become like a catchphrase. People use it these days whenever they see me because that’s what my character says in Chumbak.
The fact that Atish has written such an amazing character for me, and I love doing comedy and I wish to do more and more comedy.
What was it like working with such a talented ensemble cast in Chumbak? Is there an anecdote you’d like to share from the set?
There are so many anecdotes from the set, from day one, when we all met and bonded over readings, getting to know each other and each other’s characters, to bonding over food, partying together, meeting for dinners, and doing scenes together. Basically, all of us were really on the same page. We all wanted to make the show work, and we were all very excited to play the characters that we were playing.
None of us were insecure. All of us were extremely, extremely positive towards each other, and that’s so rare. I would say the credit definitely goes to the senior actors, Neena Gupta, Deven Bhojani, and Sumit Raghavan. All of them are so talented and experienced, but they never ever showed that on set. Everybody was equal on set, and we all had a chance to just put our best foot forward. I am blessed to be working with such incredible actors because it’s very, very rare.
You have moved between very different worlds- television, Hindi cinema, Gujarati cinema and OTT. Do you deliberately make an effort to never be put into one box and make the most of all story telling formats?
You got it right. I never stopped myself. I never liked to put myself in any box. I am a very fluid person, and I am also very fluent in English, Hindi, and Gujarati, so why not make the most of that?
Thankfully, I have had a very successful innings in television. When I started, I was working in Hindi television, and then I moved to OTT and films, and Gujarati films as well, including films that we are producing. So, I just think constantly adapting and constantly changing is the key to my success and to me staying relevant, even after twenty years in the industry.
I do not stop myself, and I never ever have any chip on my shoulder about whatever past successes I’ve had. For me, each project is like I’m starting afresh, starting from scratch, and that keeps me going. And that keeps me grounded.
After winning the National Award, Do you think people expected you to play more serious roles, How difficult was it to grab a comedy role?
I mean, I don’t think people had any preconceived notions about what they expected of me, and honestly, I don’t really know. I won’t get into these things because my journey as an artist is mine alone, and I don’t really like to define myself based on people’s expectations of what I should do.
I have always followed my own path without asking for people’s opinions because, honestly, nobody knows as much about your career as you do. And yes, I love that I get appreciation for my work, and I value it so much. But ultimately, my journey as an artist is mine alone, and that’s how I like to maintain it.
You’re also a singer, Do you think because you are an actor, Producer! That side of yours is lesser spoken about?
Singing is my passion, my first love. Maybe people don’t know so much about me as a singer because they know more of me as an actor, and more of my work comes out as an actor.
But whatever I have done as a singer has also left an impact. Be it winning the reality show Star Ya Rockstar on Zee TV, my songs for my Gujarati films, or Jhamkudi, which became such a rage with almost 24 million views on YouTube. That song was sung by me with my husband, Parthiv. Raja and Rani, is also a very, very popular Gujarati song. So, I might not have sung many songs, but whatever I have done has definitely been liked by people. So, I want to do more of that, and I am hoping that I can.
You’ve explored so many different facets of yourself as an actor and creator. What is the next version of Manasi Parekh that you’re excited to discover?
The next version of myself that I am very keen to discover is, Parthiv and my journey as entrepreneurs, as producers, where we are kind of helping so many new projects. We’ve just announced Gujarati Cricket Premier League. We are gonna be the owners of the team and the league, along with our partner, Havel Tucker. Apart from that, we have a lot of international as well as multiple Gujarati projects that we are working on, all of which will start from next month. So, lots of exciting things, and we cannot be for the next chapter.
Uri is one of your big Hindi film projects, what was it like working on that project and collaborating with Aditya Dhar and Vicky Kaushal, Very less people know that it was your first film after becoming a mother?
Yes, Uri was actually my first Bollywood film, and it came to me when I had just given birth to Nirvi. She was like eight, nine months old. And what a film to be a part of, a film I will always be proud of. Aditya Dhar sir is an incredible maker. I am grateful to him for casting me in the role and to get to work with talented actors like Vicky Kaushal, Mohit Raina, and Swaroop Sampat is something that I will always hold very close to my heart, and Yami Gautam, also, of course. Uri went on to change the game for so many of us in more ways than one, and I am so glad I got to be a part of such a big project as my first Bollywood film.
Tell us about your next set of lineups?
There are a lot of films that I am working on, a lot of projects that I can only talk about once they are closer to release. But I can say that I have around four to five big projects releasing next year, in Gujarati and Hindi. As an actor and as a producer, I have a huge lineup of films that we are working on, which we will be announcing very soon.
So, just wanna say that it’s an exciting chapter. Thank you to everybody who’s joined me on this journey and continues to support me. Let me tell you, I will not let you down, and I hope and I pray that I get to entertain you forever and ever.
We have also announced our hundred-crore Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), which we are very, very excited to work on and build more IPs, be it in live music, films, or creative experiments and concepts. So yes, our journey as entrepreneurs is very, very exciting for me.
Also Read: Chumbak Series Review: Old Wine, New Bottle
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
