She is on cloud nine with the reception of her recent Gujarati film, Dear Father. Calling the experience “incredible”, actor Manasi Parekh remarks, “Every actor worth their salt would consider it a privilege to work with the talented Paresh Rawal sir (actor), who has done over 150 films. It was great to have a substantial role that gives takkar to his character in the film.” Though the team knew the film would work, they were surprised with its response.

Parekh has been an actor since 2004, with a number of hit TV shows, including Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi, Gulaal and Sumit Sambhal Lega to her credit. Later, she debuted in Hindi films with Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019). “I am at an interesting juncture in my career. My Hindi film career is a few years old that started with Uri, which I was happy to be part of. The usual trend is that actresses in their 20s do many Hindi films and in their 30s, things would peter out, but that is not the case anymore. In fact, now there are so many interesting roles out there for my age group,” says the 35-year-old.

Parekh gives credit to the writers and audiences who have accepted actors “who are not playing a quintessential, good-looking actress”. “I always had wonderfully etched out roles in the TV shows I did. But back then, I didn’t get film offers and maybe koi specify requirement hogi. And after Uri, people have been offering good roles. Moreover, my experience, marriage, and motherhood have added value to my performances. Earlier, actresses were told if you want a career, you can’t marry or become a mother. But my career surged post marriage,” says the actor, who will be seen in Jab Khuli Kitaab, co-starring Aparshakti Khurana.

Having starred in some acclaimed Gujarati films, Parekh is thrilled with the growth of Gujarati cinema. “There is an overarching trend of audiences and their tastes changing. The lockdown and pandemic, too, have amplified things. Today, people are ready to watch films in any language. Pehle Bollywood zyada dekhte the, but now they have become more open to different languages,” says Parekh.

She adds, “There are many exciting things happening in Gujarati cinema. After doing Gol Keri (2020) and Dear Father, I am now shooting a film with (actor) Sharman Joshi and another Gujarati film with (actor) Ratna Pathak Shah. Suddenly, a number of mainstream Hindi actors are stepping into Gujarati films. While the south industry is established, Gujarati is still growing. It is exciting to be part of this growing industry. That is a telling sign of changing times.”