JOIN USShe is passionate about acting and has been part of films like Bahuparak, Devara Naadalli, Kaudi, Last Bus, Yashogathe and more. Apart from being the lead in Zee Kannada’s Mahadevi, she is also involved in theatre. Meet Manasa Joshi, an actor whose love for acting shines through during the course of this conversation.
Manasa was born and brought up in Bengaluru, and has completed her Masters in Electronic Media. “I started learning dance when I was in the 5th standard. I started with Bharatnatyam, but later switched to Kathak, and trained under noted artistes Nirupama and Rajendra, and by the time I reached my pre-university, Kathak had become my passion, and everything in my life started revolving around it. However, I was very sure I wanted to complete my Masters before doing anything else.”
She credits her father, a media personality, for supporting her to follow her dreams. “I took a break in-between my degree and Masters, and I casually applied for the Miss ETV Kannada pageant. I went on to win the pageant, and met entertainers including D Suresh and Sihi Kahi Chandru who suggested I do theatre. But I was clear I wanted to complete my Masters and perform Rang Manch in Kathak. When I had the time, I started reviewing and writing about dance performances.”
Learning the ropes
Soon, Manasa had her tryst with acting. “I enrolled myself into Actor Prepares, the acting school run by Anupam Kher. I did a 3-month course, and it helped me a lot.” She soon started working with eminent theatre personality Surendranath, who first started her off with backstage and production work. “I started working on a Kannada play directed by Vinod Ravindran, who was a tough director, and from whom I learnt a lot. When I was working on another play, someone approached me for films and that’s how I met Suni and landed a role in Bahuparak.” Incidentally, she played a character who was double her age in real life. “I loved the script, so I agreed, and Suni was surprised as most people prefer a glamorous debut. However, I told him that acting was my passion and that I was always ready to take up something different.”
After her debut, Manasa acted in the 2013 movie Haj, which won 3 State awards. Later, she went on to do Last Bus, directed by Arvind under the Narasimharaju banner, Devara Naadalli with Prakash Raj, directed by B Suresh, and Kaudi, in which she shared the screen with B Jayshree, and Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu, directed by Sumana Kittur. Her latest release is the bilingual film Yashogathe with debutant director Vinod Raj. “This is about a woman’s life in pre-Independence India and how she overcomes the difficulties of the time. Usually, a lot is spoken about what the men did at that time, but no one speaks of the families they left behind. This story revolves around a woman, who becomes the head of the family, and with no source of income, struggles to make ends meet.”
Versatility counts
For someone with a keen eye for off-beat roles, Manasa says she came into the industry without any preconceived notions. “All I wanted was that when I do a movie, the character should be important and quite different from the ones I have essayed before. I think it is important to be versatile as an actor.”
When asked if a glamorous role has ever been on her mind, Manasa admits that her definition of glamour is not conventional. “An outfit that makes you look good is glamorous. For me, the role should be able to project my acting skills.”
Speaking about her stint on the small screen with the mythological serial Mahadevi, Manasa says, “For me, it is all about acting, and form does not matter. Of course, theatre and dance are fulfilling, as the audience reaction is honest and immediate.”