Goa is much more than beaches and parties: Manini Chadha

Dressed in a simple white shirt and blue jeans, actor Manini Chadha sat with a cup of coffee, soaking in the easygoing Goa vibe. It was here, she recalls, that she received the call for Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari — a moment that made the coastal state feel especially lucky for her.

“Goa has been very lucky for me, especially with Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari. When you're in the industry, you tend to start living in a bubble in Bombay and sometimes it can get to you. So I decided to come to Goa because we have a house here. Two weeks after I moved here, I got a call from Dharma and they offered me the film. I think it was just something about the energy that changed,” smiles Manini. Having spent years travelling between Mumbai and Goa, Kahaani 2 actress says the state has always felt familiar.

“I have been coming to Goa for a long time. I went to St Xavier’s College in Bombay and a lot of my friends are born and brought up here. Some of my closest friends still live in Panaji and Dona Paula. Over time I got to know more people here and saw a different side of Goa. It wasn’t just beaches and parties. There was so much more to it,” she says.

Manini began spending more time in Goa during the COVID period and eventually moved into her apartment in Salvador do Mundo in early 2024.

Growing up around filmmaking also shaped her career choices. With her father working in documentary filmmaking and her mother a journalist, she was exposed to the creative world early. “From a very young age my parents encouraged me to take part in drama, dance and singing. Acting came naturally because it was something I enjoyed as a child,” she says. However, the industry comes with challenges. “There is a lot of competition and breaking through isn’t easy, especially when you don’t have connections.

Everything I’ve got has come through auditions and merit. When you’re on a high, it’s a real high and when you’re on a low, it can be devastating,” she says. PQ: There is a lot of competition and breaking through isn’t easy, especially when you don’t have connections. Everything I’ve got has come through auditions and merit. When you’re on a high, it’s a real high and when you’re on a low, it can be devastating ...