It is fulfilling as an artiste to have such diversity in one role

Says, Manish Wadhwa talking about Sony SAB’s “Hero: Gayab Mode On”

It is fulfilling as an artiste to have such diversity in one role
Manish Wadha as Dansh in Sony SAB's Hero Gayab Mode On.

•    How does it feel to be associated with Sony SAB?

o    It really feels amazing to be associated with Sony SAB. Associating with this channel means being connected to the people of every age group be it children, teenagers and adults which always really fascinated me. So, I was always very excited to work with Sony SAB.

•    What made you accept the show Hero: Gayab Mode On?

o    The idea and story of the show, along with my character Amal and Dansh is what had me accept this role as I am quite choosy. Since my character is about playing a positive and negative character at the same time in the show, it is fulfilling as an artiste to have such diversity in one role. Initially during narration, I was told that only my eyes will be visible without disclosing my name which made me quite nervous about the role. While Hero’s father, Amal Nanda is a calm man but Dansh is a hard-core ruthless villain. It was challenging to play with my eyes. I was also asked that the daily makeup of transforming into Dansh will take 2 and half hours with prosthetics. What I am really thankful for is that our viewers d people do understood the character and I am really thankful for this.

•    Please share something about your character, Dansh and Amal Nanda.

o    I am essaying characters which are entirely opposite to each other. While Amal Nanda is a soft spoken, emotional and a caring man, Dansh is an Asur who has been created by the aliens with precision and care. He has been created to become the most powerful warrior. All the members of the Venus planet are also afraid and scared of him as he is so powerful and strong physically as well as mentally. I also have to change my voice while switching my characters which is also an exciting facet of my characters.

•    What was your first reaction on your elaborated look and set?

o    Fantastic. I just couldn’t believe my eyes when I first visited the set, it was so real and I knew it would be new for the audiences as well. The hard work that the crew members have put to make this a reality deserves a salute because I think it is done for the very first time on Indian television. The makeup, background score, everything is huge and everyone on the sets often stand still and watch the shoot which gives us a feeling that if they are not getting bored watching this, it means we are doing something good and the audience will enjoy this.

•    What is your experience doing double role for the show?

o    It does seem as if I have a double role given how starkly different both my characters are. But basically I am playing the same guy who has two personalities and identities. My experience so far has been wonderful and this show and my work makes me immensely happy. The episodes proceed with a phase to phase transition. The upcoming episodes will reveal different characteristics of Dansh and his transition to Amal will be witness quite often.

•    What can fans expect from your character in the upcoming episodes?

o    I am assure that our viewers must brace themselves to witness the union of Amal Nanda and Veer. The upcoming episodes will reveal Dansh’s true nature and his master plan to acquire the mystical ring by taking the form of Amal Nanda. The character of Dansh will keep developing and it is about to get more exciting, thrilling and entertaining for our viewers. The real challenge for Dansh would be how well is will be able to hide his identity as an alien and dwell into the character of Veer’s father – Amal.

•    How is this role different from the ones you have essayed in the past?

o    It’s very different as I haven’t played an alien ever before. I have already played Asur but an alien is something I am playing for the first time, a concept which we have mostly seen in Hollywood.

•    How has the experience been shooting for the show with the entire cast and crew?

o    The experience working with the team is amazing, whenever we sit and talk, we get overwhelmed appreciating each and every character, be it Veer, Zara, Meethi and Sweeti or Mama Ji. We all share a strong bond now and it is never a dull moment on the sets. We all enjoy so much doing what we do and this show that it gets reflected in our performance I feel and I am sure our audience will continue to love and support us as long as we give our best to the show.

•    Any message for your fans/viewers?

o    I really want to thank all of them for liking and appreciating the show. Shooting for this show and working on the final outcome and making it look surreal is not an easy task. Our director, Maan Sir and Tushar Ji, the whole creative team, along with channel Sony SAB is doing a great job. Amidst this pandemic, everybody was worried as viewers have shifted from TV to movies and web series, so we already had the challenge of bringing such a show that will not bore our audiences and keep them entertained. During such a challenging time, our show has caught our viewers’ interest. Hero: Gayab Mode On takes the viewers on a different world entirely. I just want to thank our audiences for loving and supporting us and I hope they keep lifting our spirits.