Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; January 30, 2019)

Manasi Parekh Gohil, who has serials like India Calling, Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai and Sumeet Sambhal Lega to her credit, made her big screen debut with Uri: The Surgical Strike, which has raked in over Rs 150 crores already at the box office. Understandably, the actress is excited. “I’m overwhelmed with not only the kind of response the film has got, but also my performance. A lot of people didn’t know I was in the movie because I didn’t talk about it before. Now, through word-of-mouth they are discovering that I have a strong and powerful character and are appreciating my performance,” says Manasi, who plays Vicky Kaushal’s sister in the film.

The scene where she breaks down after her husband, an army officer played by Mohit Raina, dies, is one of the most poignant ones in the film. Manasi shares that the scene was nailed in one take! “Two things that helped me draw the emotions were the fact she is pregnant when her husband dies. She is mourning for him and the unborn child, who will not have a father. Being a mother myself, I knew how sensitive the situation can be. One gets so sensitive during pregnancy and something like this can create havoc. I had auditioned for the same scene and the director had loved it. So, when it came to the shoot, he told me he wanted it to be performed in the same manner,” says the actress.

Ask her how it was working with Vicky, the man-of-the-moment and she gushes,  “Vicky is lambi race ka ghoda. He is challenging himself with new roles and performances. It was fabulous working with him. He is absolutely generous as a co-actor and has no starry airs. All my friends love Vicky. When I posted pictures with him, they said, ‘We are so jealous of you for working with him!’”