Nobody has asked about my social media following while casting me: Manav Gohil

Manav Gohil, whose last Gujarati film Chandlo was released in 2023, has just completed shooting for another Gujarati film. Manav shares, “The film, titled Mauje Dariya, is a light-hearted comedy directed by Parry Majmudar and it’s very relevant for Gujarat. I am enjoying working with new-age filmmakers in the industry. These youngsters have a new perspective on things, and they bring a lot of freshness to everything. We finished shooting for the film in about 20 days. It was fun to shoot in Ahmedabad because the city always offers great food.”

Talking about the current phase in D-Town, Manav says, “Recent films like Jhamkudi, Vanilla Ice Cream and Faati Ne? have been really good attempts at making something different. I have a lot of hope from the industry now because the new breed of filmmakers and writers has a very international yet Gujarati perspective on things. I see a lot of promise and while the industry is still at a nascent stage, we are on the right track.”

Manav made his OTT debut with the show Karate Girls last year. He says, “It was good fun and the show was received well. I think OTT saw a bit of course correction last year in terms of budgets. I think now, OTT platforms are not relying too much on films and the focus is more on shows. But this (OTT boom) has been great for actors, writers, and producers. Indian audiences are really willing to consume content thanks to the convenience that OTT provides.”
However, he adds, “The way projects are shot has changed for the better in recent times. Unless the content is good and offers something new, it fails to attract audiences. I feel OTT has more capacity to take risks as compared to television.”

Manav was last seen on TV in the show Dabangii-Mulgii Aayi Re Aayi (2023-24). Last year, when Tenali Rama returned on TV (Manav played Maharaj Krishnadevaraya in the show earlier), there were reports that Manav was approached to play the same character, but he turned it down due to financial constraints and eventually, Aditya Redij was roped in for the role. Asked about it, Manav says, “I want to clear the air because a lot of fans seem upset that I haven’t taken up Tenali Rama. It’s wrong to assume that I didn’t take up Tenali Rama only due to money issues. Money is just one of the aspects that an actor considers before taking up a show and there are multiple factors involved. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t. Also, it is not just the actor’s prerogative when it comes to taking up a role. Eventually, that decision is taken by the makers and the channel. I am always open to doing good work on TV.”
Asked about the trend of actors being cast based on social media followers, he says, “I am not very active on social media and nobody has ever asked me about my social media following while casting for a project. If people are casting influencers just because they have many followers, they won’t be able to sustain unless they know how to act.”