Mumbai: This year, the entertainment industry shed the dejection imposed by pandemic-related restrictions and began to regain its dynamism. As 2022 winds to a close, Zee Theatre luminaries recount the highpoints of the year gone by in the personal as well as professional arenas.
Karan Veer Mehra, who stars in Lights Out, says, "2022 has been a mixed bag because the first half kept me busy with work and the second half brought with it a lot of family time in Delhi with my near and dear ones. The highpoint was, of course, the birth of my sister’s beautiful baby boy. I wish everyone a safe, merry, and joyous 2023 and hope it will bring many wonderful gifts with it."
Sahitya Akademi Award-winning playwright and director Mahesh Dattani, whose play Final Solutions has enjoyed wide viewership, says 2022 was a year of travel with trips to the USA and Bali. He adds, "This was also a year when I began in-person rehearsals and classes after the pandemic. I got over my caveman syndrome and actually stepped out into the world! My resolution for 2023 is to just do my thing and respect others when they do their thing! And I want to stay healthy and alive, not just in terms of mortality, but alive to my senses and retain my passion for life and art."
Dilnaz Irani, who stars in Shireen Shah, shares, "This year, I shot for two films, opened two new plays, did an interesting sitcom, a cameo in a web series, and a few ads. I’m also doing a Tamil web series, which was a very different experience for me, so professionally I couldn’t have asked for a better, more fulfilling year. I also got to travel abroad to meet family members, so even personally, life has been great.
As for resolutions, I hate setting goals as they take away from the freedom to discover life as it unfolds. So, my resolution is not to have any! I just want to live in the now, have fun, and be grateful. I wish everyone the same, along with a lot of happiness."
Manoj Pahwa, who narrates Saadat Hasan Manto's classic story Toba Tek Singh in Zee Theatre’s anthology Koi Baat Chale, says, "There is no certain calculation that can calibrate the year gone by, although I am grateful for the work that I was able to do this year. I am also grateful for my family and friends, who have supported me in my endeavours this year and always. My son got married in 2022, so that was a very precious moment for the entire family. As for goals, I have never believed in restricting myself to a certain list of things. I just go with the flow and have never been dismissive of the work that has come my way."
About Koi Baat Chale, he says, "It was a wonderful and challenging experience as one had to do justice to the essence of the story, and I am glad that the audience response has been so positive."
Actor Pawan Chopra, who stars in The Will, adds, "2022 was a period of introspection and rediscovering yourself. It was also spent remembering the huge personal loss of many close friends and my mother, who was the inspiring force behind my acting journey. This year, I also paused a little after 20 years of working nonstop. 2022 was also about reinvention and taking lessons from nature’s fury; covid-19 taught us that anything can happen at any time. Life can’t be taken for granted, so your body, mind, and soul have to be prioritised."
In 2023, the actor wants to do work that will even surprise and challenge him. He concludes, "I am waiting with open arms to embrace 2023 and feel it will be the best year for everyone."
