Age is just a number; the hunger and passion remain the same: Manish Goel

Turning 50 hasn’t slowed him down, says Manish Goel. “Age is just a number for me. The hunger and passion remain the same. I want to keep working… there’s still so much I want to do,” he adds.

Television, he insists, will always remain his foundation. “I have done a short film, an OTT show, and now a movie. I’ll continue exploring every platform, but I will never quit TV,” says Manish, who was recently seen in Anupamaa.Grateful yet ambitious, he admits his biggest dream is still pending. “I’m very thankful for all the opportunities, but I’m still hungry to do more. Every actor’s dream is to be seen on the big screen.

That dream remains unfulfilled for me, but I’m praying that the film I recently shot for finds the right medium.” At the same time, he points out that the industry still carries biases. “When we meet people, there is still a lot of discrimination between TV, film, and OTT actors.

I hope that changes soon,” he adds.

The actor recently reunited with his wife, Poonam Narula Goel, for a short film, almost two decades after they last worked together in Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Nach Baliye.

Did he miss working with her? “Absolutely,” says Manish, adding, “While we worked on the short film, I realised the kind of chemistry we still share. We should come together for something else, too. She’s a fabulous actress, and I’ve been her fan since the day I met her.

At the peak of her career, she gave up everything to become a mother. That break lasted 15 years, but now our kids are grown up, and she seems ready to return to acting if something good comes her way.” He recalls a touching personal moment from the shoot. “My 11-year-old daughter saw her act for the first time. She hugged her and said she should get back to acting. That really touched her,” he says.