PremiumEXCLUSIVE: I don't think any actor or any artist ever is satisfied with one take, says Tanya Maniktala
The actress will be seen in the role of a vampire in ‘Tooth Pari- When Love Bites’
Last Updated: 01.43 PM, Apr 20, 2023
After having made her presence felt with shows like ‘Flames’, ‘A Suitable Boy’ and many others, the extremely talented Tanya Maniktala will now be seen in an altogether different role in her most awaited show ‘Tooth Pari’, which will be premiered on Netflix. OTTplay met up with Tanya Maniktala for an exclusive interview wherein she talks everything about her show ‘Tooth Pari’ and other things. Over to you Tanya...
Hi Tanya! People of your age generally go for a ‘connecting trip’ to cities like New York, San Francisco and Paris. But you went on a ‘connecting trip’ to cities like Bikaner, then Delhi and then Haridwar. That brings to my question: what was the reason you chose to do this trip?
Honestly, I get the whole charm about a person going on international trips and everything in that order. I want to explore India to the most, as I don't think I've seen enough of our country. I think there's so much that our country has to offer. Be it every city, every state... each is so very diverse from each other. I just really wanted to see how I can go about exploring our country. That’s why I took the ‘connecting trip’ to cities like Bikaner, then Delhi and then Haridwar. At the same time, I did so because, I wanted to be an explorer and not a tourist.
You prefer to do solo trips or with groups?
I think it depends on the company. If I get along with people with whom I am travelling, then great.
You stay in Delhi and work in Mumbai. Any pans of shifting base to Mumbai?
Yeah, I think that is what I'm doing right now. I go back and forth, back and forth. Because I don't want the people or the place to be, you know, saturated by me. I wouldn't say that I would completely shift my base to Mumbai. But I do keep visiting often so that I give the city no time to miss me.
To begin with, the most obvious question. While we all have heard about Tooth Fairy, here came ‘Tooth Pari’. Any specific reason that went behind the naming?
To make it more Indian! To make it more relatable to the Indian context. A lot of children have been grown up with the story of the tooth fairy.
How did you bag the show and what was the brief given to you about your character?
One of my very close friends was the one who called me for the shooting. She is a great friend with whom I had worked earlier on another project. I simply went for the audition and got selected. All along, I just did not know what role / character I was supposed to be playing.
Are you a one take artist or you prefer to improvise with each scene?
I am not the one take artist. I don't think any actor, or any artist ever is satisfied with one take. Improvisation is the key with everyone. I am no different. With each passing scene, there is always room for improvising.
Did you undergo any kind of audition for the show? Or you bagged the show without an audition? I was given a scene from this show, which entirely was in English. And, because those were the testing times during COVID, I shot a selfie video of myself enacting the said scene from my residence.
What kind of preparation you had to undergo for your character of playing the vampire?
For me, I did not want to go to old films and look upto the vampire characters for my references. I just wanted to do my own thing... my own original stuff. Obviously, it's very difficult to put yourself in the shoes of a vampire because I've never lived that life. But I thoroughly did my homework and was able to pull it off successfully. Those who have seen me in my character have come up to me and complimented for doing a good job, which only means that my hard work has paid off.
Do you have your say in the dialogues or you just deliver what has been told to you?
Luckily, the makers of ‘Tooth Pari’ allowed us to have our say in our dialogues. Overall, it was a collaborative effort.
You are surrounded by THE powerhouse of talent in the form of the veteran actress Revathi. What has been your biggest lesson that you have learnt from her?
Yes... She could speak through her silence!
What about your other co-stars Shantanu Maheshwari (who was last seen in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi') and others?
To tell you the truth, all of us had a blast while shooting.
Since the name is Tooth Pari, did you, as a child or even today, believe in the concept of tooth fairies?
Absolutely, I did. I actually grew up in a joint family. When we were kids and whenever we would lose a tooth, we would place it under our pillow. I've done all of those things with the hope to get money in return. But, now its like, I really don't know what to believe anymore.
How has been your real-life experience of visiting a dentist?
I had actually accompanied my three cousins to a dentist. Those three cousins of mind had cavities and I didn't. Initially, I was giggling at them. But then, when I saw the instruments and heard the sounds, I think witnessing that was more traumatizing than sitting on the patient's chair at the dentist’s clinic.
Your Wikipedia bio reads as Tanya Maniktala is Indian actress who mainly works in Hindi web shows. When will you change to Hindi web shows as well as commercial Bollywood films?
Very soon... hopefully.