Important to live life without regrets
We have always heard about love stories with a happily forever after. But is that true in every scenario? MX Original Series, 'Pawan and Pooja' brings to the audience three complicated love stories of three couples. All named Pawan and Pooja in their 60s, 40s and 20s, couples show us the other side of love.
In an exclusive interview with Millennium Post, Mahesh Manjrekar, who plays a quintessential role in the show, talks about the show and his take on love in this day and age.
How different do you think your character Pawan is from the other two Pawans played by Sharman Joshi and Taaruk Raina?
What drew me to the character of Pawan Kalra is his zest for life and his honesty. When I read the script, I was able to instantly connect myself with this character. Very much like Pawan, I also believe that it is important to enjoy small moments in love and live life without regrets – because life has no faith.
How was the experience of working on this show?
It was a pleasant surprise for me to share the space with Deepti Naval on screen. I'm glad that I got the opportunity to play the role of Pawan Kalra who believes in living life to the fullest without worrying about the future at all. I feel proud to be associated with the show. Pawan is a married man in his 60s whose life takes a complete new turn one day. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working on this web-series with such a talented cast.
How has Indian cinema evolved over the years?
Today, the content rules, unlike the movies made back in the 70s, 80s or 90s. The songs and dance numbers, the overall story and the buffoonery which passes off as comedy has taken a back seat. The Indian cinema is doing very well today with interesting movies and actors like Ayushmann Khurana making more centuries than Virat Kohli. So I think the Indian cinema is progressing and filmmakers are doing a brilliant job. It won't be wrong to say that Indian cinema is currently in its golden age.
According to you, which phase of the life is better: the 20s, the 40s, or the 60s?
I think it's the 40s that Gul Panag plays in the series. I feel it is a balanced phase of life with ups and downs. The youth generation is somewhat complicated with social media always influencing them. Half the time the arguments in my house are about not to use smartphones all the time. And that's why I have tried to teach my daughters to balance their time. Spending hours on chatting with the digital friends would lead them to nowhere. It's necessary for them as well as of children of their age to understand the rational distribution of time and proper management of their jobs.
What is the mantra to keep a relationship alive and kicking?
The mantra is simple – learn to respect your partner. Learn to accept the fact that the other person also has a choice. The most important thing of all is to find time for your partner. Just sit and talk to them at least once in a day, as communication is the key to have a healthy relationship.
More actors today are willing to play negative roles...
Actors don't want to play safe anymore. They aren't scared of experimenting. If you see the recent release Joker, its lead character is loved by the audience despite its flaws and negativities. That clearly shows how the industry has progressed and actors have evolved.
