The two times National Award-winning actor is in a happy space after being applauded on the international film circuit. His films — Love Sonia and Gali Guleiyan (In the Shadows) have been on a foreign fest journey. His acting prowess in Gali Guleiyan won him the best actor award at New York Indian Film Festival with simultaneous premiere at three prestigious international film festivals — Busan, Chicago and MAMI. The actor is also gearing up for Love Sonia premiere at London Indian Film Festival. 

“I’m very happy and excited that my films Love Sonia and Gali Guleiyan have been liked by the global audience. These films deserve much more and I can’t wait to see them do wonders,” says the actor.  

Manoj always yearns to do challenging roles, because he believes he is a director’s actor — who can be fully moulded into the character his role demands. He is happy that his potential as a performer is getting appreciation from both the film industry and the audience. 

When asked if he only likes taking up roles that are different and off beat, Manoj says, “Every character is an imagination of someone’s reality and as an actor it’s my job to fulfill the expectations of my director and my audience. It’s challenging to be someone you are not, but then there’s a certain kind of spark I feel within myself while portraying demanding roles. That spark helps me rise as an actor and perform better. Crisp acting is something I yearn for and I like to challenge myself with different roles that demand different things from me.”

On the work front, Manoj has an interesting films lined up including Son Chiriya directed by Abhishek Chaubey, Satya Mev Jayate releasing on August 15 and a debut in Raj & DK’s webseries, Family Man.