Even after 25 years, it feels like a new beginning for me: Manav Gohil

Manav Gohil, whose portrayal of Intelligence Bureau (IB) deputy director Sushant Bansal in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revengehas earned him rave reviews, shares, “Even after spending over 25 years in showbiz, I feel truly grateful that the next chapter of my journey is only just beginning. I am getting to do good work on TV, OTT and films (both Bollywood and regional cinema). I am shooting for another big mainstream Bollywood film and have also finished shooting for an exciting web show. Professionally, it feels like a new beginning for me.”The actor, who was in Ahmedabad recently, adds, “I enjoyed my trip here and being a part of The Lavari Show.”‘Dhurandhar 2 has changed the syntax of things to come’Talking about his journey in Dhurandhar (both films), he says, “I was called up by the casting director and asked to report in Bangkok urgently. Originally, someone else had been cast for the role, and I came in much later. When I read the script, it was an overwhelming feeling to know that a story like this was going to be told. Little did we know that it would turn out to be a magnum opus. The success of Dhurandhar 2 has changed the syntax of things to come. It’s an extremely important film in my career and I am glad to see so many memes based on the film.”He adds, “Aditya (Dhar) is very pure and honest with his craft, and Lokesh (Dhar, one of the producers and Aditya’s brother) is also very down to earth. Aditya works very hard on the screenplay, the detailing is phenomenal, and his sincerity percolates down to every member in the team. He was very calm and composed while shooting and managing so many big stars. I am glad to see people like Aditya and Yami (Gautam Dhar) succeeding. I have always believed that success can come with goodness and kindness also. You don’t have to be harsh and brash to succeed.”‘Audience will spend money if content is good’Talking about audience choices today, Manav says, “They are willing to spend money if you give them good content. Saiyaara did so well because it was a beautifully told story, and Dhurandhar has just taken it to the next level. Today, they have exposure to the best of international content, and nobody can make fools out of them anymore. If you challenge their intelligence and try to tell them, ‘Humare lens se cheezein dekho’, it won’t work.”‘I love working with courageous filmmakers’Manav, who recently completed shooting for a Gujarati film directed by Chinmay Purohit, says, “Chinmay bhai has proved his mettle as a director, and I love working with courageous filmmakers like him. His storytelling is simple, but he offers something radical in terms of what he brings to the table.”Manav, who played a negative role in his last TV show, Binddii (2025-26), adds, “It’s always a pleasure when someone offers you a challenging role, something different from what is usually offered. I am glad to be doing both big Bollywood projects and good regional cinema, plus exciting content on OTT.”‘Learnt a lot while working with Madhavan’Talking about shooting with Madhavan, he says, “For Dhurandhar 2, I shot mostly with Madhavan and Ranveer (Singh). Both of them are very cool to work with, and Ranveer brings his own energy to the sets. He is extremely warm and instantly makes you feel comfortable.”He adds, “While Madhavan is just about a couple of years older than me, he is way senior when it comes to cinematic experience. He is a very intelligent, unassuming person and he shared a lot of inputs for our scenes. We also spoke about life, kids, and filmmaking. He is a treat to work with, and I learnt a lot from him.”