Mansi Parekh says no TV return until it matches Sumit Sambhal Lega’s standard

Manasi Parekh is one of the finest actors in the nation right now. Parekh, who started two decades back with the television industry, has now won the National Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film, Kutch Express. After the big win, she spoke to India Today Digital and opened up about her time in the television industry. Sharing that she had a mental breakdown during her TV stint, the actor also disclosed whether she has bid goodbye to it.
Recalling her time in the television industry, Manasi Parekh revealed, “The schedule affected me personally. I went through a massive breakdown when I was shooting for my TV show Gulaal, just six months into it. It was an incredible show, but just the rigour of doing television every day, day in and day out, it’s no joke.”

Agreeing that there is a 12-14 hour schedule or even more, she added, “And then there is one-two hours of travel.” She emphasised that sleep deprivation is regular, “It’s every day that you don’t get sleep. There’s no life. You go home to sleep. In my TV years, I just went home to sleep. Seven years of my life, I have just shot, got home, slept and came back. My husband has been so supportive through this because my whole career started through my marriage. It’s not easy — the kind of work I did, but because he is an artiste, he understood. I don’t think anybody else would. They would have been like, ‘Hey, what is this madness? Just stop’.”
But, has she bid goodbye to TV, or will the audience ever get to see her back on the small screen? “The last show I did on television was Sumit Sambhal Lega and I think it was one of the most incredible shows I have been a part of. So while I was doing that show, I made it very clear to myself, if I get a show of this scale and level, then I will do it. If it is even one per cent less, I wouldn’t do it. Unfortunately, after that, nothing of that level has been made. So, not until I get a show as amazing as Sumit Sambhal Lega (will I be back on TV),” Manasi said.
The actor also admitted that with the rise of OTT, television is losing its edge. “There is more experimentation, there are better makers and there are so many different plots and characters that can be explored on OTT that can not be explored on television because of the restraints of censorship,” Manasi Parekh said, adding, “Having said that, TV is now, I feel figuring it out what is to be done in fiction because all the storyline that were earlier set for TV are now meatier on OTT. There’s more depth in characters and story.”
Here is the full interview:
So what would boost the television industry? “Finite shows and limited storyline,” the Jhamkudi actor quickly responded. “Television is run by ad revenue. So, once the story clicks, makers keep stretching the show because it becomes like a cash cow. It should not run like that. That’s also why OTT can run, because it is subscription-based. One needs to subscribe to it, so it is not running on ads, so there is more freedom to explore, which TV does not have,” she explained.
Manasi Parekh is now a part of the Gujarati film industry and is contributing to its growth, not just as an actor but also as a producer. Her last release, Jhamkudi, was a hit and is now streaming on OTT.