Manish Goel

Viewers of STAR Plus prime-time series Meri Awaaz Ko Mil Gayi Roshni (whose lead pair had stormed Calcutta last month) were in for a surprise. Karan Grover, who played the popular male lead Raj, has bowed out owing to his commitments to Nach Baliye 3. Manish Goel, who has been missing from the small screen for close to a year now, is the new lead of the television series produced by Fox. The actor spoke to t2 on his year-long sabbatical, his role in Meri Awaaz…and on turning scriptwriter.

After a long break from the small screen, during which you turned down a lot of offers, why did you opt for Meri Awaaz…?

All this while, I was looking to do something innovative. Unfortunately, challenging roles in the Indian television industry are very hard to come by and so I waited for something substantial and interesting to come my way. A lot of factors went in favour of Meri Awaaz… Besides the fact that my role and the set-up are top notch, what also acted as the decider for me is that Meri Awaaz… airs in the prime-time slot (9pm) on a popular channel like STAR Plus.

Are you replacing Karan Grover in the serial?

I am entering the show as the main lead, but I am not replacing Karan’s character in the show. The character that I play, Rehaan Kapoor, is a completely new person in the serial’s scheme of things. He is an interesting character: arrogant but loving, complicated but a child at heart. It’s not a character that you would normally get to see on Indian television today.

How comfortable are you entering a show midway?

As long as my role is good, I don’t have any problems at all. Besides, the serial might be airing over the past couple of months, but the character that I play has just been introduced. And if one remembers, in all the successful serials that I have been a part of, I have made an entry midway: be it Bhabhi, Devi or Mehndi Tere Naam Ki.

Apart from Meri Awaaz…is there anything else in the TV pipeline?

There are a couple of projects, but as of now it’s only Meri Awaaz…that I plan to concentrate on.

You devoted your sabbatical to writing scripts. Is anything happening on that front?

I have completed a script (smiles). I am happy with the way it has turned out. However, I have just come back to acting after a long break and I want to devote all my energies and attention to it.

You have always expressed your desire to work in films…

Well, something should happen on that front next year. But it’s too early to talk about it now.

Priyanka Roy