Actor Manish Goel says that there is visible interest in supernatural shows in India. By Ayushi Sharma
The roots of black magic are lodged in ancient myth and folklore which continues to be a part of popular consciousness on account of superstitions that are rampant in the society. Despite the emergence of the horror genre, the idea of black magic, which incorporate elements of the supernatural, still remain more popular in Indian entertainment industry, says actor Manish Goel who plays Prithvi Khanna in Tantra, Colors latest series offering. It is an occult practise that involves meditation, yoga and is popularly believed to have negative connotations for some brutal rituals.
Weaving in the concept of tantra, the focal point of this story is a house — the Khanna mansion and its members who become unfortunate victims of this practice. While the life of every member of the family is at threat, there is only one soul, Niyati, Prithvi’s daughter, who can save her home and family from incurring the wrath of an evil curse.
Manish feels that there is no one who can tell you without a doubt whether magic exists or not. This question has been debated on for a long time and people still cannot come up with a definite answer.
“I believe that there are things which happen and cannot be explained, and it is up to you to decide whether or not to believe the mystical explanations,” says the actor who has been a part of shows like, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Nach Baliye.
Manish’s character is a contemporary one. The show seems to delve in the dark art of witchcraft. The actor says, “I play the role of Prithvi Khanna. He is a businessman who builds his dream home after a lot of hard work. However, the spot they select is cursed by witchcraft.” He denies that it is an out and out supernatural show. “The serial is a social drama with supernatural elements. It tells the story of Niyati and her father. There is an element of mystery, which will intrigue the viewers. People will see a special father-daughter bond,” says Manish.
He adds, “The show has multiple subplots running parallel to each other. The main track is of Prithvi building his dream house and then there is his beautiful relationship with his daughter. Lastly, there is an undercurrent of black magic. However, there is more of tantra vidya involved in this show. There’s an eye constantly watching the family. You will see how everything starts unfolding when we move forward. Who does it and why will be revealed.”
Despite definite policies in the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act of Maharashtra, which criminalise practices related to black magic, there have been a spate of supernatural shows lined up on all channels. The actor says that the TV industry caters to the demand and puts out shows that get the TRPs. Manish opined, “I think there is a definite liking for such shows. There was a time when family dramas ruled which were followed by the serials on social issues. This is the time for supernatural shows. Though I am not in favour of this herd mentality, we can’t deny that there is visible interest.”
Despite having done so many shows, Manish doesn’t get affected when it comes to TRPs and numbers. His main concern is that one should be appreciated for the work they are doing. He also explains, “On TV, women constitute the major part of the audience and TRPs of a TV show largely come from the ladies in the house.”
He is a believer that a man has the potential to make or break his own destiny. He has done everything on TV from reality shows to hosting and acting in the fictional shows, but he’s still not satisfied. “I want to play Devdas on TV. It’s an iconic role. I even have asked my dear friend Sumeet (Mittal, writer, director and producer), about making Devdas for TV. I’ll definitely propose it to the channel. It’s my dream role, hope I would get to play it someday,” he says.
(The show airs from December 3 at 11 pm.)
