Actor Manav Dua, who was last seen in Zing Tv’s Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya as a lead, is now currently playing the role of Jay Kashyap in Balaji Telefilms show ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ on DD National.
Manav’s acting inspiration?
I believe my passion to do is what inspires me, yes that isn’t what one would expect to hear but this is my truth. As long as you have the passion to do something you follow through and allow the journey to be your inspiration. Acting itself drives me because everyday I get to portray a new shade of myself , portray something that I’ve never felt before or something that I would feel someday. So yeah , I believe if you are passionate towards Acting then you don’t need any Inspiration to pursue it. Passion, purpose and persistence , my P’s for inspiration.
How did Yeh Dil Maange More happen?
Well it’s a story in itself, during the 4th week of Actor’s Truth ( a class I went to), I got a call from Balaji Telefilms saying I have been shortlisted for the character ” Jay ” and they want me to take one more self test before locking me in. I shared it with the casting department and I didn’t get a response for 2 weeks. Finally On 23rd Feb , I got a call saying I was locked in for ” Jay “. I was thrilled because after being in the dark and unsure, I got a call with someone telling me ” you’re locked “. Though I wanted to break the news to family, I chose not to till I was signed up and on the set. Shooting for YDMM started from 18 June and on the same day I told everyone off my big news! They were all excited after hearing this because the next day was my birthday and it felt like I gifted myself a career in the TV industry by starting my journey with Balaji Telefilms. Honestly and truthfully YDMM journey of Manav Dua i:e; JAY has been an indelible Journey.
Tell us about your bond with your co actors.
As an actor you are taught this technique of taking energy from your co-actors but to follow this it’s essential to have supportive , willing and humble co-actors and these three words that I have mentioned above are less for my YDMM team , all of us were so connected to each other that around them it never felt less than a family. The first time I met them was off shoot at Balaji’s office. At that time I remember Akshay Mhatre had come across very reserved and to himself, I was not sure how would I approach him, given he’s a senior actor so I thought that would be a challenge. Even with Miss Twinkle, she was quiet , a person of few words and reserved but on the second day of shooting I realized I was wrong. This was one fun and happy very chilled bunch of people and I got to see the crazy side in all of them the day they surprised me with a birthday celebration on set and this was only day 2 of shooting. This was remarkable. We all used to have our meals together. Mrs.Archana used to bring _Parathas_ for me because I love to eat _Parathas_ and Miss Twinkle [ Jyoti Didi ] used to bring steamed veggies for me. Mrs. Shefali always tried to help me work on my inhibitions. I feel lucky to have such co-actors in the start of my journey.
How does it feel to be associated with Balaji Telefilms Production?
I feel I am born under a lucky star and I am blessed to start my career in acting with Balaji Productions and I hope we’ll come up with more creative and entertaining projects in future. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Priyanka Salunke Ma’am for acknowledging my craft and offering me the role of Jay. As and when days got going I had a chance to meet and interact with many members of the Production team. Our EP Mr.Sanjay Giri , Mr.Atul Joshi and one person apart from Priyanka ma’am whom I’d like to mention is Dhruv UmraniaSir (our creative director) who supported me with ways that arent big nor small. To this list it’s fair I even call out the efforts the spots took to ensure we actors were well taken care of. This is one amazing point of Balaji Productions, they take very good care of their actors and team.
What made you take up acting as a profession?
Observing something new about myself everyday. Learning how to react in situations and how to handle my emotions , ultimately knowing everything about myself is what I wanted in my life. Acting is living under imaginary circumstances and when someone pursues this profession he / she gets clarity about life and more so about themselves. To know myself , to be free from inhibitions and explore the depths of my emotions myself , I choose to become an actor.
What kind of roles are you looking for and keen at doing? Also, if offered a negative role, would you accept it?
I am keen to explore work in web series and films because I believe it will help me grow me as a versatile actor in the industry. It doesn’t make any difference portraying a negative lead character in future because every character has it’s own charm and shade that I would like to portray. I surely wouldn’t want to be looked at or labeled as a “Villain” but as an actor who can portray every emotion of the character.
Are you disappointed with the fact that it will go off-air soon?
Yeah , I wish I could live as Jay for a little longer time but everything happens for a reason, YDMM is the first step to many sets and shoots.
