Manini Chadha on becoming Rakhee in Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari
Manini Chadha is a versatile and talented actor known for her nuanced performances in both films and web series. The girl with a pretty smile made her Bollywood debut with Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani 2 and has since impressed audiences in acclaimed web series like Faadu and Commando. She shined bright in her recent role as Rakhee in Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari showcases her ability to bring depth and warmth to her characters, earning widespread praise for her layered performance.
Known for her grounded and engaging presence on set, Manini continues to establish herself as one of the most promising actors of her generation. She spoke with us as the film is successfully running at the theatres and getting ready for an OTT release.
Does Manini and your onscreen character have any traits in common? How did you bag this role? Was this very different from the characters you have played before?
I had got a call from the casting director Mukesh Chhabra, saying that Shashank Khaitan wanted to talk to me about his new film. Then Shashank called, gave me a narration and character brief, and asked if I’d like to do the film, and saying yes to working with him and Dharma Productions was a no brainer!
I don’t know how much Rakhee and I have in common, I’m not sure I would be able to suppress my dreams and ambitions the way she does for her husband and in laws. Rakhee doesn’t have much agency up until the end of the film, which is not something I can relate to.
How difficult is it to act in a multistarrer film, especially matching up with their screen presence?
I think depending on who you’re working with, multistarrers can either be really great collaborations at their best, or they can be about a bunch of actors trying to one up each other at their worst. Thankfully on this film every single actor in the cast was so supportive and happy to share screen space, that it never felt competitive. Everyone was genuinely encouraging of each other. Yes, you can feel a little nervous being around so many talented actors, but that’s only because you also want to do your best to match up to everyone else!
How did you prep for your role?
This film didn’t really require heavy prep since we were making a very light, breezy film. Once we were on set, Shashank was happy to give the space for his actors to improvise and find their moments in the scene.
How was meeting with the stars? Any memorable moment?
The best thing about our set was that no one behaved like a star. Varun is the most down to earth, easy-going guy with not a single starry air about him, and Janhvi, Sanya and Rohit are also all very grounded and sweet, so meeting them and working with them felt quite easy and comfortable. It’s only if we were out in public and would see the fans gathering, screaming, fawning, would we remember that they’re actually all big stars. The whole cast got along so well, we really bonded like a family, and there was never any kind of hierarchy amongst the actors.
What was the peak excitement moment like in this journey? Share a "shaky hands" moment, if any.
My peak excitement moment was shooting my first ever song and dance sequence- I had been dreaming of this since I was a child, and to be able to do it in a Dharma movie was the cherry on the cake! Sadly that song didn’t make it to our final cut, but it was a very fun and satisfying experience nonetheless.
Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do when you are not shooting?
Recently, I’ve been splitting my time between Bombay and Goa when I’m not working. I love the laid back vibe, and the beauty of its nature. We like to go on treks to find remote waterfalls and streams in the forest. Other than that, I watch lots of films and shows, and I’m also a bit of a trivia nerd so I love watching or playing quizzes and learning new random facts!
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