Latest news with #Manasi
Hans India
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Manasi Parekh on balancing creative worlds
Actress, singer, and producer Manasi Parekh is no stranger to donning multiple creative hats—and doing so with remarkable finesse. With her latest Gujarati film, 'Shubhchintak', Manasi takes on the challenging dual role of actor and producer, blending artistic passion with strategic vision to shape a story that's already turning heads. 'Every project I work on introduces me to new people, new perspectives, and new challenges. And all of those experiences come together when I approach a character like Meghna in 'Shubhchintak',' she shares. 'The layering she needs, the emotional range she has—I've drawn from life and everything I've lived through as a performer.' Her deep involvement in 'Shubhchintak' reflects her evolution not only as an actor but as a filmmaker shaping the future of regional cinema. 'I want Gujarati cinema to reach a level where non-Gujarati people recommend Gujarati films and say, 'You should watch this, it's a really good film,'' she says. 'Language should never limit good storytelling. That's the vision Parthiv and I share.' Working closely with her husband and musical maestro Parthiv Gohil, Manasi brings both heart and discipline to their joint production efforts. 'Parthiv and I are artists striving to push boundaries in Gujarati cinema. We aim to take risks and present never-seen-before concepts,' she says. 'His support in creative decisions is invaluable.' Their collaborative spirit guided the film from concept to screen, despite significant hurdles. 'The scripting phase alone took nearly a year,' Manasi recalls. 'We had 17 different locations, and it's an expensive film to make. Parthiv focused on the budgeting while I was deeply involved in the creative side—ensuring that we stayed true to the script without compromising quality.' From casting to sound design and visual aesthetics, Manasi made it a point that 'Shubhchintak' didn't 'look like a Gujarati film,' but simply, 'a good, well-made film.' The effort paid off. 'When Farah Khan saw the trailer, she was impressed. She didn't even realize it was a Gujarati film until we told her. That's exactly the reaction we wanted.' For Manasi, selecting the right stories to produce requires more than a catchy premise. 'A story has to be compelling right from the one-liner. But when you dive into a deeper narration, I look for a commercial appeal that's also dynamic and meaningful,' she explains. 'It has to entertain, but also say something.' Her grounded approach is rooted in a strong support system. 'My family—my parents, my husband, and my daughter—are my biggest grounding force,' she says. 'They give me a reality check constantly, and I'm grateful for that.' Having worked in acclaimed films like 'Kutch Express', 'Uri', 'Golkeri', and 'Jhamkudi', Manasi knows the value of discipline and staying focused. 'When you work hard and work well, opportunities come your way. That's how I won the National Award. That's how our films are doing well—by cutting out the frills and focusing on the work.' The journey of filming 'Shubhchintak' brought its own share of unforgettable memories. 'We were on the move so much across the 17 locations—I actually lost weight during the shoot!' she laughs. 'But the camaraderie on set was beautiful. After long days, we'd celebrate together, and yes—I'd always bring Undhiyu, Dhokla, and Ras for the team. Swapnil loved the Undhiyu!' One of the more unique challenges? 'We were shooting with a one-year-old baby! That's a different kind of complexity, but it brought so much joy and spontaneity to the project,' she says. With each role she takes on, Manasi Parekh is not just building her own legacy—she's clearing a path for future generations of female artists in regional cinema. Passionate, hands-on, and fiercely creative, her journey through 'Shubhchintak' is as layered and heartfelt as the film itself.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Mth after man ends life, wife & lover charged with abetment
Mumbai: Chunabhatti police have registered an FIR against a woman, her alleged lover and an accomplice a month after her husband died by suicide on a complaint filed by her father-in-law, a retired police constable. Yadav Ratne claimed that his son Siddhesh was driven to end his life due to mental harassment by his wife Manasi, Yuvraj Jadhav and a man from Satara. Yadav had moved to his village in Digras, Yavatmal, after his retirement in Nov 2024, while his son, daughter-in-law, and two-year-old granddaughter lived in the govt-allotted residence in Chunabhatti. On April 18, Siddhesh ended his life by hanging. Yadav told police that there was domestic discord between Siddhesh and Manasi since their love marriage in 2020 due to her alleged extramarital affairs, particularly with Jadhav. On May 19, Yadav came to Mumbai and unlocked his son's phone. He found a pre-recorded video and a written note stored as a photo. In the video, Siddhesh reportedly names Manasi, Jadhav, and a man from Satara, accusing them of pushing him to end his life and pleading that his child's custody be given to his parents. The note and WhatsApp chats allegedly reveal that Yuvraj taunted Siddhesh, saying, "I slept with your wife, you die, and I'll keep her happy," and encouraged him to end his life. tnn Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Khelo India Youth Games Day 7: Harsabardhan, Asmita set national youth records in weightlifting; Parth clinches silver
Barely 10 days after winning medals for India in the World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Lima, Peru, Harsabardhan Sahu and Jyoshna Sabar claimed a gold each for Odisha at the Khelo India Youth Games Bihar Day 7 on Saturday. Harsabardhan, a Khelo India Athlete from Ganjam district who will turn 16 on May 22, doubled his joy with two National Youth Records in the boys 49kg class competition. He rewrote the National Youth Marks for Clean and Jerk and Total with lifts of 115kg and 203kg respectively after an 88kg lift in Snatch. The previous records were set by Jharkhand's Babulal Hembrom last year. Hailing from Gajapati district, the 16-year-old Jyoshna, who has a hat-trick of medals in the IWF World Youth Championships including a bronze in Lima on April 30 and is the reigning Asian Champion in the girls 40kg class, was head and shoulders above the rest of the field and did only what was needed to win gold for her State. Late in the evening, Maharashtra's Asmita Dhone and Uttar Pradesh's Manasi Chamunda rewrote National Youth Records in Snatch, Clean and Jerk and Total in the girls 49kg class competition. Asmita conceded the Snatch record to Manasi who cleared the barbell loaded at 75kg but brooked no challenge in Clean and Jerk. However, by the time she entered the fray with the load at 91kg, Manasi had claimed the National Youth record for total with 163kg. But that was shortlived as Asmita bossed the Clean and Jerk with lifts of 91kg, 95kg and 97kg. Each lift helped her raise the National Youth mark for total while the last two lifts were records for Clean and Jerk. Delhi's 25m Pistol shooter Naamya Kapoor (centre) emerged on top, winning a tough competition with Anjali Bhagwat (Madhya Pradesh) by one point while Assam's gold came through Priyanuj Bhattacharyya in the boys singles final. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Maharashtra had added two gold medals to its collection earlier on Saturday – Akanksha Kishore Vyavahare opening its account in the Weightlifting arena after left-handed Kavya Bhatt claimed the girls singles Table Tennis crown – it was firmly entrenched at the top of the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Bihar medal tally with 27 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze for a total of 72 medals. Maharashtra has won nearly twice as many gold medals as its nearest rival, Karnataka. Punjab lifted itself to the fifth place on the medal table behind Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, thanks to gold medals from its Skeet shooters, Harazeez Singh Atwal and Risham Kaur Guron. Punjab has six gold, the same as Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Manipur but has more silver medals than them. Away from the rush for a place in the top five, Delhi and Assam were delighted to add a gold medal each on Saturday. Delhi's 25m Pistol shooter Naamya Kapoor emerged on top, winning a tough competition with Anjali Bhagwat (Madhya Pradesh) by one point while Assam's gold came through Priyanuj Bhattacharyya in the boys singles final. Hosts Bihar lost two sepak takraw finals. In girls' doubles final, Bihar lost the gold to Nagaland after leading 11-4 in the decider. Bihar sniffed victory at that stage but some errors, possibly forced by an anxiety to close out the contest, saw it lose 15-7, 11-15, 13-15. In the boys' doubles final, Assam beat Bihar to the sepak takraw gold. Assam won the first set 15-9 but the second went all the way to the wire. Bihar saved two match points as Assam converted the third to win 17-15 and the gold. With 19 medals (three gold, eight silver and eight bronze), Bihar is back in the top half of the medals charts. With only 13 gold medals on offer on Saturday and with its most rewarding sport, Swimming, having concluded, Karnataka was delighted to secure its first gold medal from another sport. Naraen Pranav Vanitha Suresh finished with one point more than Maharashtra's Parth Mane to win the boys 10m Air Rifle crown after a heady contest. On Saturday, it could not be denied that Harsabardhan's third lift in the Clean and Jerk, which gave him two National Youth Records at once, remained the biggest moment of the day – and possibly the Khelo Indian Youth Games 2025 Bihar thus far.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
I choose films where women have a voice: Manasi Parekh
Manasi Parekh Bhoomi Trivedi and Parikh in a still from the song Jogni Winning the National Award for Kutch Express made me realise that we are on the right track,' says Manasi Parekh , who will soon be seen in an interesting role in Shubhchintak . The Jhamkudi actress, who also runs a production house with her singer-husband Parthiv Gohil, was in Ahmedabad recently. She shares, 'My focus as an artiste and producer has always been to bring out unheard stories. There is never a formula that has worked for my films. But the National Award gave me belief-jo kuch bhi hum kar rahe hain, woh sahi hai. I aim to continue that.' 'Till when will we cast only men as leads?' Manasi has mostly done films with strong female characters, and she says it's a conscious choice. She shares, 'For how long will we cast only men as leads? I choose films that have women in a strong space. It may not be a lead character, but they should have a voice-not just as a 'group of women', it can be a story about one or two women.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo She adds, 'Today, writers are keeping me in mind while writing certain scripts, and they are all experimental or untapped topics. So, I feel grateful. When such films are liked, we know that the audience wants to watch such content.' 'It's great to see the rise of Gujarati cinema ' Manasi says 'it is a great time for regional cinema,' adding, 'While I keep doing Hindi projects too, I believe Gujarati cinema is on the rise and people are enjoying watching our films. It feels great and I love being a part of this phase. With no formula present, it is challenging too.' She adds, 'What happens in big industries, especially for Hindi cinema, is that there is already a path that has been created and you can follow that to get success. But in a growing regional film industry like ours, we are still figuring out our space and that is very exciting for me as an artiste and producer. I don't want to get stereotyped by playing one kind of role. I want makers to be spoilt for choice while casting me in various genres. My next film, Maharani, is the remake of a Marathi film. I believe adaptations (from one language to another) are amazing. Content is the king now, and audiences want something that clicks with them amidst the many options they have.' 'As producers, we believe in taking risks' Manasi, who has co-produced some hit Gujarati films with Parthiv, says, 'Parthiv and I are artistes, we aren't filmmakers per se. We are just taking risks and following our gut feeling while casting actors and making films, like Ratna Pathak Shah in Kutch Express , Viraj Ghelani in Jhamkudi and Swwapnil Joshi in Shubhchintak. We have explored different genres till now. We experiment with the aim to just have fun and do the kind of films that haven't been made till now.' 'Bhoomi and I wanted to collaborate for a long time' Recently, Manasi collaborated with Bhoomi Trivedi for Jogni, a dance number. She shares, 'Bhoomi and I wanted to do something like this for a long time. Parthiv had composed a song which he and Bhoomi wrote together. We realised that there are not many good garba videos available, and the ones we have are by Bollywood makers. So, we wanted to do something in Gujarati. Also, it was like a message-two contemporary female artistes can be supportive of each other and be happy about being on screen together.'
