'Struggle Toh Kiya Hi Hai'

'I have no family (in the industry), no network, no mentor.'
'Still, I'm consistently working since 20 years and now I have a National Award.'
'It may take time, but if you're consistently at it, nothing can stop you.'

There are two sides to Manasi Parekh.

After working for 20 years, she has won her first National Award for a Gujarati film that she produced herself, Kutch Express.

"When you have really worked hard in your life and it comes to you at a point when you think you deserve it, that moment is priceless," Manasi tells Ronjita Kulkarni/Rediff.com.

Then, there's the other side to her: The hands-on mom to a seven year old.

"While I'm talking to you, I have three kids playing in my house. They have turned the whole house upside down!" she says with a laugh.

But really, there's much more to her.

She's ambitious.

She's enterprising.

And she can't stop shining in her talent.

We saw you crying when you went up to receive your National Award.

A lot of people asked me why I got so emotional, why I didn't have this confident demeanour.

But just because I'm emotional does not mean I'm not confident.

Besides, when you have really worked hard in your life and it comes to you at a point when you think you deserve it, that moment is priceless. When my name was announced, I was so overwhelmed!

It was a big moment for me.

And I'm a very expressive person, so I expressed what I felt.

What did President Droupadi Murmu say to you?

She said, 'Roh kyun rahi hai?'

She thought I was crying, but they were actually tears of joy.

We saw you interacting with Nithya Menen, with whom you shared your Best Actress award as well as Rishabh Shetty who won the Best Actor award. What was your conversation about?

It was interesting because all three of us are not mainstream Hindi actors, right? We are from the regional industry, so it was a great moment for us.

Nithya and I were discussing a collaboration together, maybe we could explore a film which is a bilingual.

Rishabh and his wife were very sweet. We were discussing which places to shop in Delhi.

I was telling Nithya that now, people should start calling them Indian films and not slot them as Hindi or Gujarati or South Indian films. We should make every film accessible to every Indian.

National Awards had 309 films submitted to them in 32 languages. That's the variety and diversity that we have! It's time that every language gets its due.

Which film personalities reached out to you after you won the award?

Lots of friends, colleagues, actor friends, directors...

Aditya Dhar and Yami Gautam messaged me. They were like, you are a total rockstar Manasi!

Vidya Balan messaged me.

Was Kutch Express a difficult film to make, since you produced it yourself?

Oh yes!

When we set up the film initially, the second lockdown was announced. So the project got stalled by a year and we lost a lot of money.

It was a very big budget film for a Gujarati film and we had limited resources.

Both (my husband) Parthiv (Gohil) and I are artists first. We got into production because we are very passionate about cinema.

People were like, why are you making a female-centric film in a Gujarati space?

Who will watch your film?

People only want to watch male dominated films or sitcoms or slapstick comedies.

But we believed in the film and really wanted to go ahead and make it.

We had to fight a lot of forces like budget constraints and the prejudices against a female narrative.

So it feels like a huge validation.

Did you decide to produce a film for yourself because you weren't getting good roles?

Yes. Instead of sitting in a corner and crying about it, (I decided to do something about it).

Like, when I did Uri and played Vicky's (Kaushal) sister in it, everybody started casting me as the sister.

But I felt I have more potential than that.

And one can't keep waiting for roles.

Gujarati is an emerging market and getting so interesting. Immediately after stepping into Gujarati, I started working in a film with Paresh Rawal (Dear Father). I also did a film with Sharman Joshi.

I found my niche there.

But it's not like I have stopped doing Hindi films; that will have its own trajectory.

I'm very enterprising as a person, that's why I decided to produce films.

Anyway, my company was already made; we had been producing documentaries and ads.

Eventually, we wanted to get into films, and Gujarati seemed like the correct market because Parthiv and I both know that market.

He travels across the world doing shows for Gujaratis.

And we had friends who were saying that if you are making films, then chalo, we will invest.

That's how with this whole journey started.

Kutch Express is the second film we made after Gol Keri.

After that, we had a horror comedy called Jhamkudi, and it was the highest grossing Gujarati film.

I've realised that every good story finds its audience. The language doesn't matter because we live in a day and age where we have access to everything.

This year, two people from the south and one from Gujarat have won the main awards. It says so much about how consumption has changed.

Do you feel validated as an actor after 20 years of being in the business?

Absolutely! It's great to be in a position where I have created an opportunity not just for myself, but for so many people and it's reached this level!

It's very empowering.

How did you become an actor?

I was always a singer; I never wanted to be an actor.

When I was in college, Ekta Kapoor was auditioning for a show (Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi ). I auditioned, thinking let's see what happens.

I was selected from six people across the country, and that's how my career started.

I started doing a lot of television shows like India Calling, Gulaal, Sumit Sambhal Lega...

In the middle of that, I went and got trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film School in New York.

I did English theatre, Gujarati theatre, lots of ads, then Bollywood, Gujarati and a Tamil film in the middle of that!

I have always been open to experimentation.

I have never slotted myself.

That's why I've never been stereotyped because I have always chosen my projects wisely.

I played a bitchy daughter-in-law in Dear Father, a docile housewife in Kutch Express, a stand-up comedian in Gol Keri...

Do you miss being a singer?

I think destiny had acting as a career for me.

Music is my passion.

Like, I sang a song for Jhamkudi, which was trending on Instagram for months. I've sung for Kutch Express as well.

Your daughter Nirvi sings too.

Yes, and she plays the piano really well.

She's only seven-and-a-half, but this Navratri, she sang in public shows in front of a 10,000 people!

She's the biggest star in our family.

How do you find that balance as an actor and a mother?

I've done seven films ever since Nirvi was born.

I make sure to attend all the PTMs (Parent Teacher Meetings) and I'm a pretty hands-on mom.

While I'm talking to you, I have three kids playing in my house right now. They have turned the whole house upside down!

Nirvi is a mimic. She mimics people. She mimics me having won the National Award and how I cried!

How difficult is it to find work as an actor when one doesn't have any family in the industry?

Very difficult!

I have no family (in the industry), no network, no mentor.

I haven't partied to get work.

Still, I'm consistently working since 20 years and now I have a National Award.

It may take time, but if you're consistently at it, nothing can stop you.

I am a very ambitious girl, but I am equally family oriented.

It's a great example for women who wonder if it's possible to be in this profession and have a family too.

Has your acting journey been difficult?

For some people, it's been a cakewalk, others have struggled.

I was just reading Triptii Dimri's interview, where she said that after Bulbul and Qala, she waited for two-three years because there was no work.

So even a Triptii Dimri, with her looks and filmography, was waiting, so you never know.

But what about you?

Struggle toh kiya hi hai.

During my TV phase, between television projects, there would be months of no work.

That happened to me after Sumit Sambhal Lega as well.

Hindi mein thoda time lag raha tha and I'm not a person who waits.

You must create your own opportunities.