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For nearly a decade, Manoj Sharma was comfortably working behind the scenes as a voice-over and dubbing artist. Acting, he says, was never part of the plan. Yet today, the artist finds himself in front of the camera, slowly carving a space as an actor—something he describes as a completely organic turn in his career. “I never imagined that I would become an actor,” Manoj Sharma tells ETimes. “For almost ten years, I was happy being behind the microphone as a voice-over artist. I enjoyed working off-camera, and honestly, my family too preferred that I stayed behind the scenes.” Coming from a traditionally rooted family, the idea of appearing on screen was initially met with hesitation. “My family is quite orthodox and they were not very comfortable with the idea of me being on camera. They always supported my voice-over career because it kept me behind the scenes.
Acting was not something they had envisioned for me,” he explains. However, fate had other plans. Manoj’s acting journey began unexpectedly when he received a call from the team of Shri Guru Raghavendra Mahatme. “One day I received a random call from the team of Shri Guru Raghavendra Mahatme. Initially, I was confused and wondered if they had actually called the right person. I kept thinking, ‘Are they really looking to cast me as an actor?’” he recalls with a laugh.
After discussions with the team, Manoj eventually agreed to take up the role, partly because of the spiritual nature of the show. “When I understood that it was a show based on the life and divinity of Shri Guru Raghavendra, I felt it was something meaningful. My family also agreed for the same reason. They felt if I had to appear on screen, it should at least be for something spiritual and respectful,” he says. Although acting was never a planned move, Manoj admits that many people had previously encouraged him to try it. “Quite a few people had told me that I might do well as an actor, especially in humour-oriented roles. But I never took it seriously because my career had always revolved around voice-over and dubbing. For me, acting happened purely by accident,” he says. Despite the shift to acting, Manoj approaches both crafts with the same level of discipline. “Whether it is voice-over or acting, both require the same dedication. I make sure I rehearse thoroughly before going for a shoot so that I can avoid retakes. Preparation always makes things easier,” he shares. After Shri Guru Raghavendra Mahatme, Manoj went on to appear in Adi Lakshmi Purana, where he plays the lead actor’s cousin. “In Adi Lakshmi Purana, I play the cousin brother of the lead character. He is a supportive and affectionate brother who stands by the family. It was a very interesting character to portray,” he says. Even when another acting opportunity came his way, Manoj says his family remained cautious about the decision. “When I received another offer, my family was once again skeptical. But my wife, Srividya, stood firmly by my side.
At that time, we had just welcomed our baby, yet she encouraged me to pursue the opportunity. Her support gave me the confidence to take it up,” he says. Today, Manoj credits his family’s encouragement for enabling him to balance both acting and voice work. “I am able to continue doing what I love because my family now supports me wholeheartedly,” he adds. Interestingly, Manoj believes his background in voice-over has given him an edge as an actor. “Voice-over work has taught me a lot about voice modulation, pauses, and emotional delivery.
When I act, I use the same understanding to bring depth to dialogues. It helps me express the character more effectively,” he explains. Thanks to social media, Manoj says audiences are gradually connecting the voice they recognise with the face they now see on screen. “For a long time, people knew my voice but not my face. Social media helped people identify me as a voice-over artist. Now, through acting, they are able to recognise me more widely,” he says. Even as his acting career grows, Manoj is clear about one thing, voice-over will always remain his first love. “I continue to do voice-over alongside acting. In fact, interestingly, I am receiving even more voice-over opportunities after people started seeing me on screen.
Voice-over has always been my first priority and it will always remain very special to me,” he says. Recalling his first day on a television set, Manoj describes it as both nerve-wracking and memorable. “My first day on the shoot was quite an experience. I was nervous, but I had prepared thoroughly, which made the process smoother. That preparation helped me perform with more confidence,” he says. Acting, he admits, has changed him personally as well. “It has definitely boosted my confidence. Facing the camera, performing scenes, and interacting with co-actors helped me grow not just professionally but also personally,” he shares. Looking ahead, Manoj hopes to expand his acting career further, possibly into films. “Five years from now, I hope to explore more acting opportunities. I would love to act in films as well. The recognition I received through voice-over has already opened many doors, and I hope to take my work across different industries and languages,” he concludes.
English (US) ·