Mumbai: Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Yam Hain Hum, Hamari Bahu Silk actor Manas Shah used to believe that having a backup plan meant you weren’t serious. He doesn’t believe that anymore.
He said, “Earlier, for almost 10 to 12 years, I was focused only on acting. I didn’t even want to keep another option because my mindset was that if you have a backup, you won’t be able to give your 100 percent. When a person is drowning, the only thing they need is oxygen. There is no alternative to that, so their entire focus is on getting oxygen.”
COVID changed everything. He said, “After COVID, the world changed. Our philosophies, logic, skills, thought process, goals, and vision all need to evolve and be upgraded. One of the biggest lessons is that everyone should have an alternative career because the success ratio in this industry is less than 0.00000001 percent.”
The delusion most people carry to Mumbai is what worries him. He said, “Everybody comes to Mumbai dreaming of becoming Amitabh Bachchan sir, Shah Rukh Khan sir, or Salman Khan sir. But how many people actually achieve that? With all due respect, Rajpal Yadav is also a very famous and successful actor, but very few people come to Mumbai saying they want to become the next Rajpal Yadav.”
Manas now runs multiple ventures alongside acting. He said, “I am a venture capitalist, and I also have my own production company. Through it, we produce short films, feature films in different languages, especially Gujarati and Hindi, web series, and other content.”
His venture capital work is focused on the industry’s ecosystem. He said, “As a venture capitalist, I invest in startups, particularly those related to the film industry. Whether it’s a VFX setup, an AI-based solution for films, a spot supplier, costume supplier, property supplier, art direction, or any other field connected to the industry, if someone has talent, a clear roadmap, and a funding problem, my company provides financial support.”
The production house serves a different purpose. Manas said, “I want to create meaningful content with strong social awareness messages. I genuinely believe such content is needed today. While a lot of fiction is being made, there are very few concepts that truly offer something positive or bring peace to people, and that is the kind of work I want to focus on.”
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