Showing posts with label Maanvi Gagroo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maanvi Gagroo. Show all posts
You can tell just by watching an intimate scene whether the director is a man or a woman-Maanvi Gagroo
3:14 PM
Maanvi Gagroo, currently seen in Heer Sara, opens up on scripts that kept her away from the big screen, and the importance of female gaze while filming intimacy
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; June 14, 2026)
This Friday, actor Maanvi Gagroo returned to the theatres after six years. That gap was driven by a lack of compelling scripts. So, we assumed her latest release, Heer Sara, must have ticked all the boxes for her to have boarded the Patralekha-starrer.
“When Kartik [Chaudhry, director] and Manuj [Sharma, co-writer] told me, ‘We have this story about two girls on a road trip and they go on a bike trip from Indore to Puducherry,’ I got excited,” she says.
Impressed with the script, Gagroo dived into the prep for the film, and was pleasantly surprised by the collaborative nature of her director and writer.
“The more I was working on it, the more it was becoming like a collaborative project. Suddenly, it felt like I was involved in the characterization. I would discuss with them how Indoris talk — their Hindi is different from how it’s spoken in Mumbai. So, I thought about how I could bring that to the character,” she says.
Heer Sara stood out among the films being offered to the actor at the time. We wonder if she spotted a pattern in the scripts that she rejected. “Amateur dialogues, token female protagonists, and shallow characterization,” she cites.
“Just because you have a woman at the centre of a story, doesn’t make it a feminist one. And it’s not like I only do feminist stuff. I’m open to doing anything. We can only tell stories and let people take whatever lessons they take from it,” she shares.
Another recurring character that came her way was of an influencer. Gagroo says, “It’s okay to show an influencer, but then you have make it authentic, right? For that you have to research how influencers talk, what their life is like, and what their struggles are. Not to say that all influencers are the same, but some certain struggles will be universal, right? I just felt there was no depth in a lot of the scripts that I was getting. For the lack of a better word, it felt like ChatGPT-ed. It’s okay to use it as a tool, but where is the creativity?”
Feminist stories continue to be exceptions in Hindi cinema. Ones that have intent blended with powerful storytelling are even rarer. How difficult is it to be a feminist in the Hindi film industry, we ask. “Oh boy! How much time do you have?” she laughs.
“It’s hard. But it’s also easy. The industry is a microcosm of the society at large. So, there are people who understand feminism, and work on feminist principles. They will treat men and women the same. But there are people who don’t and think, ‘Hero toh hero hota hai’. So you just navigate it, and whenever you can draw lines, you do it,” she says.
She’s also observed tokenism in the industry. “I don’t like being discriminated against because of my gender. I don’t like it if I’m in a situation where I’m not being heard, or my opinion is not being paid attention to. A lot of times they have a singular woman in a room full of men, just as a token service. They say, ‘Ours is a diverse room’, but it’s not,” she says.
It might take the industry some time to lighten the burden that feminist artistes carry every day, but there’s something that Gagroo finds hope in. “The phase that we are in, there are a lot of women in the crew, which was not something we had earlier,” she says.
Seeing women as assistant directors, in different departments of filmmaking, heading several of them, on the biggest of projects, is a change that the actor wants to highlight. “That is one way of helping the cause of feminism, because the minute men start interacting with women in the workspace, automatically they start treating them like people,” she says.
The conversation moves towards the importance of the female gaze, especially while shooting intimacy. Gagroo, who shot one such scene in Heer Sara and a few in Four More Shots Please! (2019–25), says that most male directors focus on the female body to highlight intimacy.
“Nowadays, you can tell just by watching an intimate scene whether the director is a man or a woman. The female gaze will always focus on emotional intimacy. And you don’t need to be naked for emotional intimacy because it’s about the lighting, the chemistry,” she says.
But the actor makes a point to heap praise at her Heer Sara director for displaying sensitivity while filming the intimate scene. What especially touched Gagroo was that Chaudhry didn’t need her to explain her reservations or requirements for the scene.
“There’s one scene where my character and Nishank’s [Verma] character make out in a trial room. The team was so sensitive to the fact that actors are also people at the end of the day. It’s one thing if I ask for certain things and they do it, but when it comes from them, I find it very heartwarming. And now, of course, we have intimacy coordinators. So, that makes it a lot better for actors,” she signs off.
Women often get misrepresented in shows and movies-Maanvi Gagroo
4:26 PM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; May 21, 2026)
Maanvi Gagroo has stayed away from films for nearly seven years because she refused to compromise and be part of stories that don’t do justice to female characters.
“Often, I got excited by the one-line idea of a story, but when I got the script and read the dialogues, I felt they were written by men because [they didn’t seem] to even understand how women talk. Women often get misrepresented in shows and movies,” she shares.
Naturally, when Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry came her way, Gagroo asked for the script after being sold on the idea of “two girls on a bike trip to Pondicherry”.
“The minute I read the dialogues, I was [relieved]. Kartik [Chaudhry, director] told me to add if they’d missed out on anything because, being a woman, mine is a lived-in experience,” recalls Gagroo, adding that she shared a few suggestions during the scripting.
“I told them that one of the issues women face [on a road trip] is the lack of hygienic and safe washrooms. You have to carry wet tissues, seat sanitizer. So, they added that. It felt like a collaborative process.”
The priority is still to get that one hero and make the film around him-Patralekhaa
8:47 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 17, 2026)
For Patralekhaa, it’s a season of firsts — from turning producer with Toaster and embracing motherhood with daughter Parvati Paul Rao, to now headlining her first women-led film, Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry. “I was sold even before reading it,” she laughs. The actor says she was surprised to learn that the movie revolved around women and had no love angle.
While female actors get to play varied roles, Patralekhaa feels that “women are always portrayed as somebody’s something”. “Love seems to be the centre of our being, at least in movies. While we have so many shades, I don’t see that reflected quite often.” Stories centred on female friendships, she says, are even rarer. “Those parts are not written. In my 10-year-long career, there have only been a couple of films that have been female-oriented,” she shares.
Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry, which also stars Maanvi Gagroo, is a slice-of-life road-trip drama. At the heart of the film, Patralekhaa says, is the idea of women holding space for each other through life’s messier chapters.
“As you grow older, friendships change. Making friends [has become] harder now because your trust has been broken, you’ve seen life.”
So, Patralekhaa is using her production house Kampa Films to back stories with a soul and also give newcomers the opportunity that she and actor and husband Rajkummar Rao once received at the start of their careers.
“We want to make entertaining films that we like to watch. [And create opportunities for others]. Raj and I had no background. Somebody gave us that chance.”
However, her optimism dips when the conversation turns to pay parity and gender politics in the film industry. She admits that things are unlikely to change anytime soon. “Films are more hero-led. The priority is [still] to get that one hero and make the film around him.”
Navigating postpartum
Patralekhaa, who gave birth to daughter Parvati Paul Rao on November 15 last year, says social media trolling made her realise how little people understand postpartum experiences.
“They don’t understand how abruptly a woman’s life shifts and changes. What we need is awareness,” she says, adding, “I feel happy when women actors go out and speak about it. Every small drop matters.”
Is there no gender-based pay parity on TV and OTT? Celebs speak up
8:23 AM
In an earlier interview, actor Raveena Tandon made heads turn with her statement that female protagonists get paid more in the TV industry, and even OTT is slowly catching up. Navya Kharbanda speaks to some prominent names from the small screen and digital medium to weigh in on the issue of pay disparity and share their experiences
Navya Kharbanda (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 14, 2023)
Amit Sadh
The television industry has provided fertile ground for female protagonists to shine and to be the centre of the show. TV has given them a chance to get the same respect and recognition as their male counterparts. In fact, I agree that OTT platforms have also disrupted the traditional power dynamics of the Indian film industry. There is no doubt that we’ll be creating a level playing field for women to showcase their talent and creativity.
Karan Tacker
In television, whoever is the lead of the show gets paid more. Whoever brings in the most viewership for the show will be paid in accordance with that; it doesn’t matter what their gender is. I look at it in terms of, ‘Who’s running the show?’ I’ve never been in a situation where someone got paid more than me or when I’ve been paid more than someone. In the projects that I’ve been involved in, pretty much everyone gets paid according to what they bring to the table and they seem to be happy about it.
Nakuul Mehta
The TV industry is primarily a medium where actors, producers, directors and almost every artiste are women. If not more, female protagonists do get paid equally as their male counterparts. In a time when pay disparity has existed in mainstream cinema for years, the television industry is definitely paving the way for women to be equally valued and paid for their hard work. Time has surely taken a reverse turn, as women are far more valued now and are being paid better than they were earlier.
Erica Fernandes
The TV and OTT industries have been game-changers for female artistes. In most cases, female actors on TV get paid equally or more than men. This is a positive step towards gender equality in the entertainment industry, as it shows that women are valued for their work and talent. However, it is also important to remember that sometimes people are paid according to their experience and worth. It is not always a reflection of how hard one person has worked compared to the other. This is not the case for everyone and pay inequality is still a major issue in many industries. It is important to recognise and address this problem if we want to create a more equitable society.
Aahana Kumra
I don’t think that female protagonists get paid more or equally in the OTT industry. Maybe it happened with Raveena Tandon (who starred in the web show Aranyak) because she’s already a Bollywood star. People also get different treatment because of their background. When you come from a mainstream cinema background, you come with the mindset that, ‘Oh, I’m already a star in Hindi films, and I’m moving to OTT, so I should get a higher pay’. I don’t think that happens with other actors; in fact, I don’t think I get equal pay.
Divyenndu
In television, now and always, especially since the whole Ekta Kapoor era started, women have been at the forefront. Since then, they’ve been getting paid more because they play the leading roles. It’s a commercial business and at the end of the day, whoever is in the driver’s seat will get paid more. Gender isn’t really the deciding factor here. Whoever can attract more viewers will have a higher price. It is a very clear business principle: whoever controls the market will control the price.
Maanvi Gagroo
I don’t think female leads are paid equally or more than their male counterparts in the OTT industry, unless the woman is a significantly bigger star. The pay disparity scenario has changed from what it used to be 10 years ago. However, I don’t think there’s been a blanket change across the industry. Also, it differs from one project to another. There are times when I get paid more, and sometimes my co-actors are paid more. And the inequality is not just about the actor’s fee but also things like hotel, vanity van, flight, etc. that again vary for different actors.
Ridhi Dogra
In this profession, no project will be similar to another because of the people attached to it. I’ve experienced the difference in storytelling, as we see a lot of stories being told about women in OTT. The characters for women on TV and OTT are quite empowering. But in terms of pay parity, I do feel that OTT still has a long way to go. With TV, it is definitely true that women are paid equally or even more than their male counterparts. I’ve worked on both mediums, so I can speak for both industries. If you’re headlining a project and you’re the biggest star, then you will automatically be paid more. And talent is, unfortunately, not respected as much in our industry as marketing is.
Kavita Kaushik
It’s true that women are paid equally or more in the TV industry and I’m sure of it because I started my career on the small screen. I don’t think, unless I was a star kid, I would have been given a role like Chandramukhi Chautala in movies. I was paid a bomb during my tenure on (TV show) FIR. In fact, I think I was the highest-paid actor on TV at that time. In films, less performance-oriented roles are given to women. However, in my 20 years of career, I’ve seen that women are always considered important script-wise on television. I’ve never done any mainstream Hindi films, and whenever something was offered to me, the payment used to be peanuts, like almost no money.
Amol Parashar
In showbiz, there is no fixed pay scale or grade. An actor’s fee is negotiated based on the value they bring to a project through their skills and brand value. As much as we’d like to believe that it should be based more on the former, it’s mostly the latter — the belief that a certain person will bring in audiences and more eyeballs to the project. If my co-star is more famous than me (according to the producers), they’ll definitely be paid more, and vice versa. Since this value is subjective, it’s prone to biases and inaccuracies. No two actors will be paid equally in a project, irrespective of gender, unless they negotiate together, which is a rare occurrence. That is how this business works.
Life after marriage is ‘Shubh Mangal’ for Maanvi Gagroo
8:18 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 3, 2023)
Maanvi Gagroo, who tied the knot with her long-time partner, comedian Kumar Varun, on February 23 this year, chose to keep mum about the whole affair. Finally opening up about her life after marriage, the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) actor says, “Life is still the way it was before the wedding, which is a good thing. It’s just the two of us living together, so things are quite nice.”
The 37-year-old adds, “We are busy with our professional lives, but we come home to each other. This is the life we wanted and the main reason why we decided to get married. Otherwise, before marriage, we had to take time out after our work to meet and then we’d go to our respective homes.”
Gagroo, who was seen in Tripling last year, is busy with workshops for a new show, which goes on floors this month.
Talking about her style of working, the actor says, “There are some people who like to work on back-to-back projects and I have had such phases, too. But I have always wanted to take up one project at a time, take a break and then start the next one. That would be ideal. But aisa hota nahin hai.”
Kirti Kulhari preferred spending time alone and we girls totally respected that-Maanvi Gagroo
8:11 AM
S Farah Rizvi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 22, 2022)
Actor Kirti Kulhari recently said that she’s not too close to her Four More Shots Please (FMSP) co-stars Bani J, Maanvi Gagroo and Sayani Gupta. Reacting to that, Gagroo says, “In this season, Kirti was very much into herself. She preferred spending time alone and we girls totally respected that. As we have known each other for so long, we understand whether the person is upset or happy. So, we know when to leave the person alone and let her be. To sum it up, I would say that ab humein acting nahin karni padti dost hone ki. For me, we are friends forever.”
Having worked together in three seasons of the show, the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) actor feels the bonding among the female cast members is quite strong. “Very much like in FMSP, we are an off-screen girl gang too and we are well connected. The four of us also have a chat group and we keep it updated with regular girly talks,” the actor says.
On work front, the Tripling actor is happy playing characters that have no physical attributes attached to them. “Earlier, I used to play plus-sized, chubby characters. My frame of mind was that I’ll be conveying some kind of message attached to these social stigmas, but I don’t do that anymore. As far as getting image-bound is concerned, I have realised that it’s all in my hands. When I’ll put on weight, similar roles will follow. I am glad that things have changed and I’m getting to play a variety of roles now,” the actor ends.
In Four More Shots Please 2, she was the most loved character, and I feared in Season 3, she would be hated-Maanvi Gagroo
8:31 AM
Enjoying two releases in Four More Shots Please 3 and Tripling 3, Maanvi discusses her apprehensions of playing a bitter character in the women-led show
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; November 8, 2022)
How does it feel to have two shows dropping on the same day? “It gets hectic with the promotions,” warns Maanvi Gagroo, before stating that she wouldn’t trade “the fantastic feeling” for anything else. The universes of Tripling 3 and Four More Shots Please 3 are far divorced from one another, so are her characters. While she had to portray the confused Chanchal in Tripling, she had to also be convincing as the irrational and impulsive Siddhi in the Amazon Prime Video series. Over to the actor as she talks about the juggling act.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
You had back-to-back releases with Four More Shots Please 3 and Tripling 3. Which show gave you more scope to perform?
In Four More Shots Please [FMSP], each character has a definite arc. So as Siddhi [her character], I had more to do in terms of performance. Tripling also [let me perform], but the show is about the fun element. Chanchal [her character] is not someone who cracks jokes or delivers punchlines. She doesn’t have that impact, but Siddhi does.
Tripling was conceived as a road-trip show. Was it a conscious decision to not go on one this season?
Yes, Sumeet [Vyas] and I had discussed that we had already explored road trips in the first two seasons. We knew the audience loved the three characters, their parents and the familial dynamics. We wanted to stick to these pointers. Sumeet and I [felt] that season two was scattered, where we were going from one place to another. We lost the crux — the siblings and the family. By constraining the story to the family and their dynamics, we got the essence of season one back in the new edition.
Why was the track about your character’s doubts in her marriage not pursued further?
I told the director [Neeraj Udhwani] that I wished we had delved deeper into this. Chanchal is comparing her parents’ marriage to her relationship with Pranav [Kunaal Roy Kapur]. If they broke up, she would lose hope in her own marriage. But I wish we had gone deeper [to figure out] how it is wreaking havoc on her marriage. Here, the problem gets solved simplistically. But relationship issues are not solved overnight. It may be [explored] in the next season.
In FMSP, your character underwent a shift. How did you navigate that?
During the pandemic, I was sh*t scared for my parents and the elders in my family. Right after the first wave, we shot FMSP. While performing [the track after Siddhi’s father’s death], I insisted on calling him dad, because I address my father as Papa. I had to avoid going in that direction. I was confused about what Siddhi goes through after [his demise]. I didn’t agree with Siddhi being so annoying and erratic. In season two, she was the most loved character, and I feared that now, she would be hated. While shooting, I hated her, but the makers made me believe that it will all come together in the end. Finally, when I saw the season, I understood that she didn’t know how to process her emotions.
How would you describe the camaraderie with your Tripling and FMSP co-stars?
My relationship with the actors is similar to that depicted on screen. With Sumeet and Amol [Parashar], it is like a brotherly relationship. I call up Sumeet whenever anything happens in my life. I am always bullying Amol and getting away with it. I have a different equation with each of the girls of FMSP. If I need to hang, I call Sayani [Gupta]. For gossip, I call Bani J, and when I want to discuss career choices, I call Kirti [Kulhari].
Apart from acting jobs, social media is now a great way of making money, too-Maanvi Gagroo
8:30 AM
Gagroo says that besides their craft, actors hugely care about their presence on socials to improve brand value
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 16, 2022)
Actor Maanvi Gagroo believes that being an actor today is not just about your craft. “I feel the majority of focus has always been outside of acting, even before social media came in. It’s always been about things like who is dating who, who is wearing what, who said what, in which interview, etc. But earlier, there weren’t so many avenues [to put your personal life out there],” says the actor.
The 34-year-old, who has been a part of web shows such as Tripling and Four More Shots Please!, says that earlier, there were fewer mediums for fans to get a peek into the lives celebs. “There would just be one-two print publications, TV interviews and a few award events in a year. But now, everything has gone up; there are so many interviews and events. Also, every actor has their own Instagram account, which is managed by a team,” says Gagroo.
She adds that today, besides good acting skills, it’s imperative to be in the public eye, too. “I feel with social media, there is the pressure of putting out content regularly. People keep thinking, ‘What am I going to put out today to beat the algorithm and increase the number of followers?’ Apart from acting jobs, this is now a great way of making money, too. You partner with brands, and for that, you need to be active and have a large number of followers.”
People come to me with the mindset ‘she’s fat, yet she’s confident’-Maanvi Gagroo
8:31 AM
Maanvi Gagroo feels people’s perception of how a female actor should look hasn’t changed completely
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 20, 2022)
Maanvi Gagroo believes that while the arrival of OTT platforms led to better roles for female actors, there are some things which haven’t changed. Especially people’s perception of how a female actor should look.
“Even in society, there is a general change that is happening. People are talking about body positivity, all skin colours being beautiful. But, people still think skinny, fair, straight hair. I don’t know if the society dictates what you see on-screen… they go hand in hand,” she says.
The Four More Shots Please actor adds that there is a section that still thinks about body shape, and skin complexion of a female actor while casting. “Some people still think that their lead should be a certain way. But then there are others who are the opposite, and say ‘she is good looking, it’s fine, as long as they are auditioned and they can act well’. It’s a mix like society,” she shares.
Gagroo has faced situations where people were surprised that she had confidence, despite her weight.
“A lot of people come to me and say ‘you are so confident, it’s amazing’ I said ‘confident matlab?’ I could never figure it out. You don’t go to a person and say ‘you are confident’, I would say how big a fan I am, and if I like their dress. Then I realise they are coming to me with the mindset ‘she’s fat, yet she’s confident’. Or if I am wearing shorts, in their head it is ‘she’s fat, and yet she’s still wearing shorts, she is confident’. Now I am confident about myself,” ends the actor.
What's a hit on OTT? Amid lack of any public data, makers and actors ponder the definition of success in web space
8:09 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 11, 2022)
The one major thing that differentiates OTT and theatrical releases is the absence of numbers. There’s no box office online, and the entire focus is on the kind of content. So then, what defines a hit project on the web? No data gets released regarding the number of viewers as well.
Filmmaker Shakun Batra, whose film Gehraiyaan released directly on an OTT platform, had told us earlier, “I have the same question. Given how the industry is moving forward, we will have to define a new metric of success for films on OTT. Now, it is generally word of mouth like, ‘Oh a lot of people watched it’. I wouldn’t be surprised if we soon get metrics [for web space] that can be compared.”
For now, however, that seems unlikely. And actors are only too happy that people will watch something not just based on the hype around how much money it has earned. Actor Maanvi Gagroo, who has done popular web shows, such as Tripling and Four More Shots Please! (both have third seasons coming up), shares, “I have to rely on audience reactions to know whether my show has worked or not. And that’s a big change that social media has brought about. Earlier, there were very few avenues, and we’d get to interact with our viewers only through middlemen. Now, I can talk directly to people, though it’s still filtered.”
Mozez Singh, who directed the medical thriller Human, says they do get access to internal data through the OTT platform, but it’s never released. “I can just can say that the amount of people who reached out to me, the way they reacted to it... it was utterly overwhelming. I never experienced such adulation for my work, so I can call it a hit,” he tells us.
There have been instances where makers had allegedly fudged box office numbers to show inflated figures for their films. So, Sharib Hashmi feels things are more “transparent” on web. The actor, who has done popular OTT shows such as Asur and The Family Man, adds, “The reactions on social media are enough to know how well a project is doing. It’s better than any numbers... No talk about collections is good. Hit ya no hit, baat kaam ki hoti hai.”
Rasika Dugal concurs as she states, “The audience is very smart today. They know what they like and what they don’t. It’s encouraging to see that they watch [something for] the content and don’t focus on anything else. That’s what makes a project hit on this medium.”
Chitvan in Tripling 3 is maturing in his own weird way-Amol Parashar
8:13 AM
Set to return with Tripling 3 after three years, Amol Parashar discusses how the characters have evolved emotionally
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; May 31, 2022)
Any Tripling fan will tell you that road trips with siblings became an instant addition to their bucket list after the series. Such is the charm of the Sumeet Vyas, Maanvi Gagroo and Amol Parashar-starrer. After the success of the first two seasons, the team has now announced the much-awaited third edition of the TVF offering. For a series that has been shot extensively across India, going from Sikkim to Gujarat, from Jaipur to Kolkata, we wonder where the upcoming instalment is shot. Parashar is in no mood to divulge details, as he teasingly says, “This time, we will be in the hills.”
In the past two outings, we have seen the three siblings – Vyas’s Chandan, Gagroo’s Chanchal and Parashar’s Chitvan – go from squabbling to cheering each other on and helping one another grow. Parashar promises that the characters have matured in the upcoming edition, while retaining their eccentricities that make them lovable. “People have a lot of expectations from Tripling. The idea is to meet some of those expectations, while giving them something new,” he says.
The actor, who was seen in Sardar Udham (2021), adds that his character has undergone a distinct shift in the three years since the last instalment streamed. “With Chitvan, people have come to expect madness. He was different in season two compared to the first instalment. [Here], he is maturing, but in his own weird way. I have grown physically, mentally and emotionally as an actor. Similarly, Chitvan, while still exhibiting his usual traits, has evolved in his relationships.”
While a successful series comes with a lot of pressure, the actor believes the biggest responsibility lies with writers Sumeet Vyas, Abbas Dalal, Gopal Tiwari, Chris George. “I didn’t get involved in the writing process. Sumeet and Arunabh took care of it. Often, they asked me to join their jamming sessions during the scripting stage, but I didn’t want to get into it.”
That said, Parashar offered suggestions about his character while shooting. “Whenever I had a suggestion, I voiced my opinions.”
The 25-day shoot, conducted in early 2022, felt less like work, more like a happy reunion for the cast and crew. Hitting the road after the Coronavirus pandemic was blissful for Parashar, who says, “We were shooting together after three years. Life no longer gives you the luxury to chill and hang out too often [due to the pandemic]. But season three was our excuse to get everyone together and go on a road trip.”
We will shoot Four More Shots Please 3 in Mumbai till May end-Rangita Pritish Nandy
7:53 AM
Four More Shots Please creator kicks off the third season in the city, adhering to safety norms; says schedule unaltered despite rising COVID-19 cases in the state
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 20, 2021)
Creator Rangita Pritish Nandy, who kicked off the shoot of the third season of Four More Shots Please last weekend after a year-long wait, believes her emotional state can be captured in three words: “We feel alive”. The all-women drama, headlined by Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo and Bani J, is being shot in South Mumbai. “After the year we’ve all had, being on set, exchanging ideas, discussing characters, and even squabbling over costumes — it all feels like coming home,” says Nandy.
The creator finds herself leading a 100-plus crew at a time when the impact of the second wave can be strongly felt as Maharashtra recorded its highest number of Coronavirus cases in a day since March 2020. Undeterred, Nandy says they are being cautious and following guidelines to the T. “Our protocols are driven by the government’s prescribed norms and Amazon’s exhaustive list of SOPs [standard operating procedures]. We’re testing [daily], masking up, using the private mode of travel, and not sharing food or liquids. We’re living in a bio-bubble — all this, while we keep a close watch on the changing situation to devise new precautions.”
The team is sticking to the original plan despite the adverse conditions. “We will shoot in Mumbai till May-end. We have another Indian city and an overseas location on the cards.”
The benchmark is set high for the third season. After all, the first edition bagged an International Emmy nomination and the second instalment became Amazon Prime India’s most-watched Indian original of 2020. “We wrote and prepped for season 3 before any of this happened. So, we don’t feel any pressure. But we have a duty to all the fans; we want to deliver a bigger and stronger season for them.”
A lot of people now don’t approach me for sh***y parts-Maanvi Gagroo
8:07 AM
A popular name in the web space, Maanvi Gagroo feels the perception of her as an actor has now changed
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 10, 2021)
Her OTT projects are primarily responsible for her popularity, and Maanvi Gagroo is indebted to the medium.
“The perception about me as an actor has changed. For one, the popularity part of it. Now people know that she is famous. Also, the more people see your work, the more they see you in different characters; they see your range. That is kind of like an audition. Someone trying to make a film and looking to cast people, they watch you and sign you,” shares Gagroo.
The actor, best known for web projects such as Pitchers, Tripling, Made In Heaven and Four More Shots Please!, says the more she works, the more work she will get.
“I believe it’s always better to be a working actor than just an actor. A lot of people come to Mumbai to be actors and wait for that one perfect role. I think it’s important to keep working to sharpen your craft. And I’ve been seeing that change. A lot of people don’t approach me for sh***y parts, because they know Maanvi nahi karegi. That filters out those projects,” Gagroo says.
While her career has definitely got a boost thanks to the OTT space, the actor, who was also seen in films such as Ujda Chaman (2019) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), feels even theatrical projects are benefitting from the digital medium.
“Thankfully, the lines are blurring between OTT and films. Now when, in a theatrical film, they want a good actor, a relatively new face or a non-film face, they look at OTT. The same people are watching this content, they are also exposed to these actors. Also, there is no demarcation like the kind we have between television and films. Because we can watch TV actors everyday, there is a feeling that why should one pay to watch them in films. Also, the quality of TV dropped, so people started feeling that TV actors can’t pull it off,” she explains.
I hope that the star culture does not come to OTT; they will come with their own baggage-Maanvi Gagroo
8:27 AM
Actor Maanvi Gagroo talks of OTTs rise and what makes her worry about its growing popularity
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 6, 2021)
Known primarily for her work on the web, which includes series such as Pitchers, Tripling, Made in Heaven and Four More Shots Please!, actor Maanvi Gagroo is in a very happy space now. With the OTT gaining all the more prominence in the entertainment industry now, Gagroo is nothing but ecstatic. Having dabbled with the digital medium way back in 2015, Gagroo, 35, is delighted to witness the new found respect for the web platforms, in the eyes of “Bollywood people”. Excerpts from her interview:
During the Coronavirus pandemic, there has been a notable surge in the popularity of the OTT platforms, how do you see it?
Of course it is true that a large part of it was because of the pandemic. People were not stepping out and television is something that they were already bore of. But I feel that this is something that I had kind of predicted because I knew the popularity of the OTT was only going to rise.
But is there something that worries you about this whole situation?
My only worry is that the quality of the shows might drop because the same thing happened with TV as well. When satellite television started, there were some great shows that were made and different kinds of shows comedy, thriller, drama, antakshari shows. There was a whole gamut of shows but suddenly when it became too popular, it just was all about saas bahu and there was absolutely no variety. Even if someone tried to make a different show people were not ready to do it. It became all about TRPs, so the quality dropped. That is something I am a bit wary of. There is so much traffic on OTT. Everybody is making a web show, koi 5 minute ka bana raha hai koi ek ghante ka episode bana raha hai. When there is so much clutter, a lot of good stuff goes unnoticed, that should not happen.
Do you also worry that the star system which is so prevalent in Bollywood might also make its way on OTT now?
I hope that the star culture does not come here as well because now we are seeing ‘Bollywood’ also taking interest in OTT. But they will come with their own baggage that main toh star hoon. They will be like, ‘I need this, I need a lead role, I need poster space’. The same thing that plague our films might get transferred here. There is no way to stop it so we will see how it goes.
With so much of content, do you think there will be a case of too much on OTT, after all, how much can the audience consume?
For me my attention span has really gone down. Now when I start watching a series, I give it 15 minutes. If it engages me then great otherwise I give it up. I feel there is so much to watch. I don’t want to waste my time watching something that does not engage me. People say don’t give a series up, it will pick up post a certain episode and I’m like why should I? I think the makers will have to take cognizance of this. People’s attention span is going down.
What do you think is the way forward for the OTT platforms?
I think now more money will be pumped in the marketing also, to stand out in the clutter. I just know of 4 – 5 platforms. I am sure there are good shows as well on others but they must be getting missed. For someone whose target audience is me, in order to reach me they will have to market it in a way that it reaches me. It’s a whole new industry that is waiting to burst. No, I guess it already has burst, now it’ll only get bigger.
The curious case of accountability: Where do actors stand?
8:32 AM
Actors opine on whether they should be held responsible for being in objectionable scenes. While some say they shouldn’t, others believe everyone involved is culpable
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 30, 2021)
The controversy around recently released web series, Tandav, took a turn after Supreme Court refused to grant protection to Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub from arrest in several FIRs against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in a scene featuring the actor, who, dressed as lord Shiva, was seen mouthing lines about ‘azaadi’. The SC cited the reason that he accepted the contract after reading the script and that he would be held accountable, which now has opened up a debate about what happens to an actor who is simply portraying a character on screen.
Actor Shreya Dhanwanthary asks, “Doesn’t everything hurt everybody’s sentiments? Where do you draw the line?”
Maanvi Gagroo doesn’t thing it’s an actor’s responsibility. The actor adds that it is not even a director’s responsibility. “I am not a big fan of censorship in general, but in a country like India, there needs to be some regulation,” she says.
Rajesh Tailang feels that actors should not be held responsible in situations like these. “Actors have no role in this. It is primarily the responsibility of content creators. I think the copyright holder should be held accountable, actors are not copyright holders,” he adds.
Ever since the development, many have even pointed out that this questions the very foundation of the word and function of acting.
It is a grey area feels Adil Hussain, while adding, “Once you have read the script, you know that this is what this particular project is talking about. So, it depends on which country you are living in, what are the predicament and circumstances and how sensitive you have to be. But at the same time, I don’t believe in censorship. It is important that films do not operate from a space of blaming.”
On the other hand, actor Bidita Bag feels that this indeed is something that actors should be mindful of. “Everyone involved with the project including actors should take some responsibility. Why joke on religion when you know that people are not ready. Religion is a sensitive topic in our country. So why make a joke on it when you know that there is a possibility of a backlash,” she asks.
Echoing similar sentiments, Tailang adds, “Yes, censorship is very limiting, but I think it should be self censorship and as a responsible artiste, you take into consideration everyone’s sensibilities.”
-------------------------
Rajesh Tailang
The actor feels that actors should not be held responsible in situations like these. “Actors have no role in this, I feel. It is primarily the responsibility of content creators. So I think the copyright holder should be held accountable na, actors are not copyright holders. Jo uske perks leta hai, uski hi zimmedaari hai, if I think logically,” he adds.
Shreya Dhanwanthary
“Doesn’t everything hurt everybody’s sentiments ? Where do you draw the line? So religion is the only place you are drawing the line? Is that very clear? Are you sure?” asks actor Shreya Dhanwanthary.
Adil Hussain
“It is a very grey area. It is a tricky one,” feels Adil Hussain, while adding, “Once you have read the script, you know that this is what this particular project is talking about. So it depends on which country you are living in, what are the predicament and circumstances and how sensitive you have to be. But at the same time I don’t believe in censorship, it is important that films what they talk about does not operate from a space of blaming.”
Maanvi Gagroo
The actor says she personally thinks that it is not an actor’s responsibility. In fact she adds that it is not even a director’s responsibility.
Woman have, so far, been portrayed as either virgins or sluts-Maanvi Gagroo
8:14 AM
Nominated in Best Supporting Actor - Series category at the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards, Maanvi reflects on her character in Four More Shots Please 2
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 19, 2021)
The process of self-discovery that Maanvi Gagroo’s character Siddhi Patel undergoes in the latest season of Four More Shots Please 2, formed for a major chunk of the show. Deftly portrayed by Gagroo, the role saw her character come into her own and accept her flaws. “When the script came to me, I was amazed by the writing. Siddhi’s sexual awakening is a large part of the series. Female sexuality is written in broad strokes. Woman have, so far, been portrayed as either virgins or sluts. She is either goody-two-shoes or a vamp. So, normalising stories [of regular women] is imperative,” says the actor, who has been nominated in the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards in the Best Supporting Actor — Series category.
Gagroo credits films like Thappad and Pink for having showcased women’s concerns accurately. “Women’s stories must be allowed to shine and fall with dignity. I know women have found our show heartening. They find the abandonment with which these girls live their lives inspiring.”
The show has managed to appeal to women across age groups, and of different cities. Ask her how the makers managed to address a pan-Indian audience and she says, “The writing makes it palatable for everyone across socio-economic classes. We are responsible to bring authentic stories to the screen. Creating the show the way we have requires deft. People have been comparing it to Sex And The City, and that is the biggest compliment. That was our Holy Grail. When SATC released, it was given a late-night slot. The women watched it in secrecy and it only caught on after the second season.”
The third season goes on floors soon, and Gagroo says she is excited and nervous in equal measure. “The camaraderie that the actors share is organic. We don’t want to be preachy. We want the narrative to remain light and fun, even as it touches on important subjects.”
Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
- Maanvi Gagroo has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Female): Series category for Four More Shots Please.
The other nominees are:
- Anupria Goenka: Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (Disney + Hotstar)
- Neena Gupta: Masaba Masaba (Netflix)
- Rasika Dugal: Mirzapur 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
- Sheeba Chaddha: Bandish Bandits (Amazon Prime)
- Tabu: A Suitable Boy (Netflix)
- Log on to www.hitlistottawards.com to cast your vote.
- You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.
- Voting lines close on February 9.
Maanvi Gagroo slams brand using her photo for fat shaming
8:01 AM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 30, 2020)
Actor Maanvi Gagroo was in for a shock when she found out that her photo was used without her permission by a clothing brand, to promote the dress she was wearing, calling it a “style to hide your curves”. Lashing out at the portal, she claimed that she had not given the label the permission to use her picture, and she didn’t appreciate it being accompanied by a “distasteful tagline” that promotes fat shaming.
Sharing a screenshot of the online advertisement in her tweet on Thursday, she wrote, “I didn’t wear this dress to ‘hide my curves’. Not only does the brand NOT have my permission to use my picture as a sponsored post, they definitely don’t have my permission to fat shame ANYONE! I stand against everything this distasteful tagline points to.”
The actor, seen in films such as Ujda Chaman (2019) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, has been vocal about fat shaming in the past. When contacted, Gagroo, 34, said, “I don’t want to talk about this right now because currently we are not certain about how to we want to take this forward.” However, as per her tweet on Friday, the label has apologised and assured her that the ad has been withdrawn. “In the hope that this won’t happen again, the matter is now closed,” she wrote.
Ayushmann Khurrana and I are both mature enough to not let it affect our equation-Maanvi Gagroo
7:52 AM
Maanvi Gagroo, refers to controversies surrounding both their films; insists she’s not playing a stereotypical overweight girl, written for comic relief
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 26, 2019)
Maanvi Gagroo is all set to impress in her first lead role, in Abhishek Pathak’s directorial debut, Ujda Chaman. She plays Apsara, an overweight girl, opposite a prematurely bald Sunny Singh. And despite having been part of films like No One Killed Jessica and PK and several shows, she admits she felt like a fresher. “There were many in the unit who were clueless about my shows, so, it felt like I was starting afresh,” she says candidly.Why did she wait so long to graduate to the big screen? “I was getting offers to play the hero’s sister or friend, whereas online I had more substantial roles. So, I didn’t really need to do films,” she reasons, pointing out that this one too isn’t a stereotypical Bollywood character, loud and desperate to hook a guy, incorporated for comic relief. “Overweight people are also normal,” she argues.
Maanvi reveals that being in a body suit invited a lot of reactions on the set. “During the shoot of the song 'Outfit' I was sitting next to Guru Randhawa. When I got out of my bodysuit, he initially failed to recognise me,” she laughs.
Has she faced discrimination in the industry as a chubby girl? “Obviously, and I only landed typical bubbly parts. One casting director told me since I wasn’t either skinny or fat, they couldn’t cast me,” she shares. And has her perception towards bald people changed? “I never had a perception to change. Some friends messaged to say they felt Ujda Chaman was their story. One even said losing hair had changed his personality and diminished his confidence,” she admits.
The Delhi girl enjoyed filming in the city. “I was the self-appointed guide, taking the team to the best place for momos and shopping sprees. During a shoot in Dilli Haat, I bumped into my school friend’s mother and sister. Later, he told me how proud they were to see me there,” she beams.
Maanvi is currently shooting for Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan in Varanasi and is all praise for co-star Ayushmann Khurrana. “We share the same sense of humour and crack PJs,” she chortles. That’s surprising given that their respective films, Ujda Chaman and Bala, are embroiled in a court case? “We don’t talk much about the films as we have other things to discuss. And we are both mature enough to not let it affect our equation. He complimented me on my trailer, I did the same,” she signs off.
Ayushmann Khurrana brings out the best in every actor-Maanvi Gagroo
7:04 AM
Web star Maanvi joins Khurrana in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 2, 2019)
A fortnight into the shoot of Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan in Varanasi, Maanvi Gagroo considers herself lucky to have found a place in the Ayushmann Khurrana-fronted venture. The actor plays goggle Tripathi, the “quirky” sister to Jitendra Kumar’s Aman Tripathi in the social comedy that deals with same sex relationships.“Ayushmann brings out the best in every actor,” says Gagroo, adding that it was the talented ensemble cast, coupled with the powerful message of the film, that made her come on board. “Hitesh’s [Kewalya, director] vision for the film convinced me. I am proud to be associated with a movie that is progressive while maintaining a mainstream approach.”
The web star sees little difference in the functioning style of the two mediums. “The approach to the script remains the same. It boils down to the people you’re working with.”
We borrowed a little bit of culture from every city we visited-Sumeet Vyas
7:57 AM
Tripling writer-actor Sumeet Vyas joins co-stars Maanvi Gagroo and Amol Parashar to decode the journey of season 2
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; April 30, 2019)
Ask any writer and he will tell you that while scripting the first season of a show is usually organic, the second outing proves to be the litmus test. In that regard, TVF Tripling shines bright — the recently dropped second season, which has Sumeet Vyas, Maanvi Gagroo and Amol Parashar play the squabbling Sharma siblings, has been widely appreciated.
Vyas, who doubles up as an actor and screenplay writer for the slice-of-life comedy, says the team spent a considerable time developing the material. "We took almost a year to develop the script as Akarsh [Khurana, co-writer] and I were busy with our individual projects. In fact, we were shooting for a film together, and told our director [Sameer Saxena] that we will crack the script during that time. Luckily, there was no haste to finish, and we didn't want to write for the sake of finishing it. TVF and Sameer were patient enough to let the idea breathe," he explains.
If Vyas's Chandan and Gagroo's Chanchal found their feet in the first instalment, the latest edition belongs to Parashar whose character Chitvan matures from a fun-loving youngster to a responsible father figure. "The idea was never to bank on the same kind of craziness. It may be easier, but it wouldn't hold in the long run; it limits you. Spirit-wise, the character has remained the same," explains Parashar.
As much a travelogue as it is a family drama, Vyas says the locations play a pivotal role in the narrative. "We borrowed a little bit of culture from every city we visited and incorporated that into the story. That was a wholesome way to utilise each location."
Gagroo, on her part, is ecstatic that the show enabled her to tick off a few destinations from her travel list. Having shot across Kolkata, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Sikkim, it is the north-eastern state that has her heart. "It was the first time I was visiting Sikkim. It was cold and beautiful, and the food was delicious," she gushes, before Parashar good-naturedly cuts in, "It was so cold, I couldn't get out of the blanket."
Their travel diaries are filled with anecdotes that range from sweet to bizarre. Ask them if a city wasn't agreeable to them, and Parashar is quick to respond, "Maanvi had a problem that her hotel room in Kolkata was too big. How does one empathise with that?" Feigning hurt, Gagroo defends her stance, "It was a vintage hotel with high ceilings and huge rooms. I get scared alone at night. My rooms have to be the right size. This happened right after the Ahmedabad stay where we all were cribbing about how the rooms were too small."
Their easy banter shows how the three actors have evolved from being co-stars to friends. "During the first season, we were only concerned about finding our characters. Thankfully, the stress points were gone by this season," smiles Parashar.
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