Manav Gohil on OTT bridging the gap between films and television

With Shaadi Mubarak, Manav Gohil returns to the small screen once again. The show, which premiered on 24^th August on Star Plus, has received an overwhelming response from viewers. In a recent interaction, Gohil talked in detail about a lot of things, including how OTT is bridging the gap between films and television.

Talking about television actors facing discrimination in Bollywood, the actor said, “When I did a film (Bhanvraa, 2007) with a big banner – which of course did not release – that was the time when we faced this wall that why a film with television actors. Eijaz (Khan) and I were there in the film and Dharmesh (Darshan) Ji told me, ‘You will have to leave television for a year’. He had said that we had to be off the scene for a year and then he can launch us.”

He continued, “That was the time when we faced this but right now with OTT coming in and writers becoming the real hero, I think times have changed. The wall is almost broken. A hero in TV, films or OTT, it does not typecast now. Just a year back, I was playing a king, then I did get offered a few similar roles but it is not like they are not seeing me as KT, you know! Times are changing for better.”

Elaborating on OTT platforms giving equal opportunities to film and television actors, Manav Gohil shared, “It is a bridge from TV and films. This is a new medium that has come up and, of course, actors have more to do because the hero image is secondary. On OTT, it is the writer who is the hero. So, when the script comes, and if you need a Manav Gohil for a character then you won't go to Shah Rukh for that, citing an example. I think the scripts are so powerful, if you want somebody, then you want them. Also, the work they are doing on OTT is amazing.”