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AThe staging of Broadway’s Plaza Suite was cancelled after actor Sarah Jessica Parker tested positive for Covid-19. Her husband, co-star Matthew Broderick, tested positive on Tuesday. The producers wished them a “speedy recovery”. ctor Ankit Siwach started his career on TV in 2017, but his modelling career began 12 years ago in Delhi. “I quit modelling in four months, after I saw what that world was all about. I wasn’t allowed to use my brain,” he recalls.
He adds, “I always thought everyone was good. But that becomes a weakness. You think everyone has demons and you can ignore them, but those demons just chew you up. There were instances when I was asked to send pictures without clothes. I was asked to attend parties that weren’t related to work.”
But, he says Delhi prepared him for the “bigger battle” in Mumbai. “When you see people standing like vultures to eat you up, you tend to break down. You feel like quitting. I’ve been through a lot of mental issues. But, I’ve also worked in the corporate world and I know it’s the nature of those in power to exploit others. I’ve faced a lot of proposals, people have also been direct at times, asking to compromise, if not for work then to make a career. I’ve been given examples of actors. ‘You think you can make it big without compromising,’ is what many say,” says the actor.
Titas Chowdhury
Actor-author Manav Kaul’s eighth book, titled Shirt Ka Teesra Button, hit the stands recently. The novel, which is based on a young boy, takes one back to their childhood days. Talking about it, Kaul says, “It is about a boy growing up in a village, who’s in the sixth grade. It encapsulates his journey, childhood and memories, and his first idea of literature. This idea of a kid experiencing so many things for the first time mesmerised me.”
The book has earned positive response from bibliophiles, many of who sent in handwritten notes of appreciation to Kaul. He tells us that it’s always special to hear people talk about his books rather than his films or web shows. “I have been receiving a lot of attention for The Fame Game and Ajeeb Daastaans (2021). But the [number of] people reading my books are way lesser. Jo cheezein kam hoti hain, woh aapko zyaada pasand aati hain. I truly cherish it when someone comes to me and says that they have enjoyed reading a book written by me or a play directed by me,” he says.
The Nail Polish (2021) actor often takes off to quiet places, as they help keep him grounded and write more. “I like to meet people who aren’t part of the industry such as actors, writers, directors and fans. When I travel, I meet so many interesting people who do amazing things like running a bakery or coffee shop in a tiny nook of the mountains,” he shares.
For Kaul, there’s more to life that just a film set. “Life is so much more than just being famous. The perspective of life we have has always been very lopsided and it’s getting narrower by the day. So, I like knowing about other people’s lives,” he ends.