Actor Manik Anand Talks About his Journey from Theatre to Films

Manik, who prefers to be known as a dramatic performance artist', further says, "I believe that men can emote tears and still be men. I take pride in showing vulnerability on screen or on stage, picking up psychological projects that could be very taxing on the psyche." With a strong theatre background, Manik Anand remembers performing at the prestigious Prithvi theatre in Mumbai. He adds, "It's an honour for every artist to perform on the stage of Prithvi theatre. I have been lucky enough to play lead in two plays at Prithvi. These were Noor and Abhi Na Jao Chodkar for which I received a standing ovation."

Manik Anand aka Manik Singh Anand

Manik Anand has also acted in short films such as The Second Home and Brides By Evara. After winning hearts of Indian audience, Manik moved to US to further polish his skills in method acting at Lee Strasberg Theatre and film institute in New York where he was awarded the prestigious Vincent D'Onofrio scholarship by the veteran himself. He recently completed a pre-Broadway musical - The Karate Kid, written by Robert Mark Kamen, the original writer of the 1984 blockbuster film which is bound to make it to Broadway in the near future.

Being in the most diverse city in the world, Manik says, "In America, I experienced so many cultures and learned about so many beliefs that now I have been picking up on several social causes that I believe need awareness. My recent short films are all inspired by true events. The first one is titled 'Preet' which talks about gender-based violence/marital rape victim. I play the main protagonist in it. The second one is 'Chandra' that talks about narcissistic personality disorder where again I am playing the lead role."

Manik Anand has also played a Bangladeshi Muslim Drag in a short film named 'Who Killed Taniya' which was funded by Okayama art summit in Japan. This film talks about gender/religious identity and queer relationships.

Besides acting, Manik is a trained classical singer as well and has learnt singing from Pandit Suresh Wadkar's Ajivasan Music Academy. He is looking forward to release his single soon and adds, "There have been a lot of people who've been waiting for it but I'm just waiting for the right lyrics."

For more updates on Manik Anand, follow him on Instagram @maniksinghanand.