Showing posts with label Giaa Manek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giaa Manek. Show all posts
Are television actors losing out on plum roles due to their social media following?
8:21 AM
While actors are upset and feel this emerging trend is unfair, senior producers and casting directors have a different take on this issue
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; October 6, 2021)
Social media earlier was a tool for actors to reveal their real personality and stay connected with fans. But now, in many ways, the fan following dictates if an actor will land interesting projects. While this trend began for web shows, lately, it seems to have percolated into the world of television, too.
‘THE PERCEPTION THAT A HUGE FAN FOLLOWING CAN GET RATINGS FOR A TV SHOW IS BIZARRE’
A few months ago Mouli Ganguly shared how she had lost out on a show because of less followers on social media. Balika Vadhu actress Aasiya Kazi also vented how it was frustrating to lose a project when the makers liked her audition, but she was not selected finally, due to lack of followers on social media. Like these two, many have voiced their unhappiness over this emerging trend. Nia Sharma may not have experienced this herself, but she spoke out against this saying, “It is disrespectful and hurtful for a senior actor like Mouli to lose out on a show because she doesn’t have followers. When I did Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna, there was no social media, but the show did well. The perception that a huge fan following can get ratings for a TV show is bizarre.”
SENIOR PRODUCERS SAY SUCH A THING DOESN’T EXIST
Many senior producers do not agree that such a trend has begun in the TV industry. Producer of Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, Benaifer Kohli says, “Even if Katrina Kaif auditions for the role of Bhabi Ji, but doesn’t suit the part, I will not be able to cast her in my show. Every day, there are so many actors who come to us saying we have millions of followers, but TV audiences are not your social media followers. While you might be well-known on social media, people might not connect with you in a TV show if you don’t act well or don’t suit the role.”
She gives the example of TV show Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. “How do you explain the popularity of actresses who played the lead in Saath Nibhaana Saathiya? When Giaa Manek quit the show, Devoleena Bhattacharjee took over. Both the actresses then were not popular on social media, but they got popular because of the character and the script.” Many established producers share a similar thought as Binaifer.
CASTING DIRECTORS ARE DIVIDED ON THIS ISSUE
While some casting directors agree that such a trend is slowly setting in, others feel it’s a wrong perception that actors have. Casting director Amano Dhyan, who has cast actors for many TV and web shows, says, “I admit this is a trend currently, but not as rampant as TV actors feel. There are new producers in the market, who are not confident about their product and want to cast actors with a big fan following. They don’t want to take a risk, so they check actors’ reels and Insta stories. But experienced senior producers cast actors on the basis of auditions and talent.”
However, casting director Abhishek Singh, who has cast actors in shows like Anupamaa, Pratigyaa, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlataa Hai and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, does not agree with this and says, “I don’t feel any TV actor is cast in a show for his fan following. Just because you have not agreed on certain terms with the makers and are not doing a show, does not give you the excuse to blame it on social media. I don’t see any lead actor on TV right now, who is there because he has a million followers and no experience of working in a TV show.”
IS SOCIAL MEDIA FAN FOLLOWING REAL?
Achint Kaur feels times are changing and one has to accept it. She says, “The fact is that social media is here to stay. If some makers want traction online for their TV shows, why not? If they want a popular face who has a good fan following, it is a reality and we all have to accept it.”
However, the general feeling among actors who do not have a huge following on social media is that it’s unfair. Mayank Gandhi, who has worked in TV shows like Kaala Teeka, says, “I have actually been auditioned for projects and selected for a role, but at the last minute, someone else got selected for it. I was told that his social media fan following was better, but everyone knows that followers can be bought. Does it mean you have to pay money to be cast in a show? Also, social media fan following is a big hoax because you could be a star on social media and yet people would not recognise you in real life. Sometimes, I feel that it is not about social media, but an excuse to cast actors who are new and will work in lower budgets for them.”
There is a comic angle to the saas-bahu drama in Tera Mera Saath Rahe-Giaa Manek
8:49 AM
Saath Nibhana Saathiya actor Giaa Manek says the upcoming daily soap, Tera Mera Saath Rahe, marries saas-bahu drama with comedy
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; August 10, 2021)
A decade after playing the ideal daughter-in-law in Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Giaa Manek seems to have stepped into a similar role in Tera Mera Saath Rahe. While the actor claims that her new character shares no resemblance with Gopi bahu, one cannot ignore the similarities between the two daily soaps — be it the same cast or the same attires. “Even though I am reuniting with the actors of Saath Nibhana Saathiya for Tera Mera Saath Rahe and our characters appear to be similar, there is no semblance of commonality between the two shows. The characters are completely different,” assures Manek, who will share screen space with Rupal Patel and Mohammad Nazim again.
“There is a comic angle to this saas-bahu drama,” says the actor, adding that the first promo which parodied a scene from Saath Nibhana Saathiya showcases “our ability to laugh at ourselves”. “Tera Mera Saath Rahe will display subtle humour. It is like a Gujarati thali that has a little bit of everything in it. Ultimately, whether it will work or not depends on the audience.”
Manek says she feels like a newcomer on every set. “I am not nervous [even though] there is a huge responsibility on my shoulders to deliver for this show. I just want to [live up to] the faith of the channel and producers, who offered me this role without an audition. I am still learning. The day I start believing that I have achieved it all, my growth will become stagnant.”
Ask her about reuniting with her mentor and co-star Patel, and Manek is filled with gratitude for the positive influence the senior actor has had on her. “She is someone I look up to. Every ounce of professionalism I exhibit today comes from observing her. The dignity and grace with which she carries herself has [rubbed off on] me. I am thrilled to play her bahu again. I have tried to emulate the sincerity that she shows towards her job in every character I have played thus far,” says the actor.
Will Giaa Manek return as Gopi bahu on TV?
8:02 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 28, 2021)
Are you making a comeback on TV with Saath Nibhaana Saathiya’s prequel which is being planned?
I have a few projects in hand. Destiny will decide which one I will choose. As of now, I can't comment on this. If everything gets confirmed then I will be happy to share the good news. And it could be any show.
A few years ago in an interview, you had said that you can’t be Gopi bahu all your life.
I may have said that in a particular context and not because I was tired of playing Gopi bahu. I have complete gratitude and I’m glad to have got that chance to play that character. Having said that, we actors don’t have too many options to choose from; it depends on the producers and broadcasters whether they see us fitting in certain roles. In my case, I was fortunate that after Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, I could play different roles and carve a different path for myself.
In 2012, there was a huge controversy when you had to quit the show because you chose to participate in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, which aired on another channel.
All that is in the past, I don’t want to discuss it. We are in 2021 now and have come a long way. We are grateful that we are all alive in this pandemic. Having said that, whatever happened was between the channel, production house and me and I would not want to comment on it at all. Secondly, actors do continue with their fiction shows and also participate in reality shows. I don’t hold any grudge against anyone and if there are good offers from any producer, I would always want to work with them.
Why have you been so low-key in the last few years?
I prefer to speak only when I have a project in hand. Before the lockdown, I had acted in Manmohini and I participated in a reality show in Indonesia.
Do you watch TV shows?
I spent the whole of last year working on making myself more capable of facing any kind of situation in life. The pandemic has taught me to become self-reliant, so I was busy learning new things. I haven’t kept a track of content on television.
On the personal front, are you looking for a companion?
I am completely happy all by myself. But, if I come across someone who is committed, responsible and loyal, I would be open to it.
I can’t be Gopi bahu all my life-Giaa Manek
8:35 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; August 31, 2020)
TV show Saath Nibhaana Saathiya is said to be returning with a second season, and Devoleena Bhattacharjee will be a part of it. To those uninitiated, Devoleena had replaced Giaa Manek to play Gopi bahu in 2012, two years after the show hit the tube. Though Giaa moved on and took up other projects, she is still best known as the original Gopi bahu. Talking about the show’s season two, she says, “I have had fans messaging me about this. I’ve always told them that an actor’s job is just to act and rest is on the channel and the producer about whether they want to come up with the second season and who they want to cast. It’s in their hands.”So, is she disappointed about not being approached for the part, which continues to capture the imagination of netizens making memes and parodies? “Not at all! I have lived the journey of Gopi bahu. Even when Devoleena joined the show as the new Gopi bahu, I never had any anger for her because, at the end of the day, everyone is doing their job. If not her, someone else would have done it. I don’t know much about the second season, but if they have cast Devoleena again, I am happy for her. I have got so much love from the show and people are making memes even after 10 years. I don’t feel bad about not being approached for the second season,” she shares.
Giaa wants to try newer characters in a bid to avoid limiting herself. She says, “I can’t be Gopi bahu all my life. Actors want to play different characters, because we don’t want to limit ourselves. If I keep playing Gopi bahu throughout my career, how will it add to my growth? I’m greedy as an artiste and I feel fortunate to be blessed with versatile opportunities.”
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