Mumbai: Maninee De, who was a part of shows like Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Diya Aur Baati Hum, Naagin, Dalchini, and Rabb Se Hai Dua, to name some, recently came on The Vedas Speak, a podcast produced by Ajinkya Jadhav's Paparazzi Entertainment and hosted by Dr. Sammeer Arora. She was all praise for the host and said, "There are some people with whom, even if you do not meet for many years, somewhere there is a soul connection. And I have that kind of connection with Sammeer."
"He is very sorted, very sweet, and a very genuine person, and his knowledge is mashallah amazing. So today I think it is truly my good fortune that I got to sit with such a person who has studied life and our Vedas and our religious texts in depth," she added.
Though she mentioned that she was always inclined towards spirituality and religion, she did not understand the importance of it when she was young. She said, "I think the inclination has been there since childhood. But at that time, I think when you are too young, you do not really understand these things. There was always friendship and love with God from the beginning. I think my best friend probably. I could never understand a traditional way of doing puja. So my puja used to be that I would talk to God if there was any problem. And my definition of service is to support someone, to listen to someone’s problem by talking to them; that is prayer for me. That is worship for me.
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May 4, 2026She is currently focusing on studying and understanding other things. She said, "I have always been a very curious student. So right now I am studying animal communication, and there is a modality called "psychodrama"; I am studying that. Plus I do voicing, and I also teach it. As in, I am a voice coach. So I do not get much time. If something good comes to do, I will definitely come. Whether it is television, theater, film, or web, it does not matter to me. But there should be enjoyment. If there is no enjoyment in life, then I do not do that thing."
As an actor, she believes she can don multiple hats, because she believes through her characters she gets to see life with different perspectives. She said, "I believe how every person understands that from a psychological point of view is very important. So I will not say every therapist can become an actor and every actor can become a therapist. But yes, the understanding of life is definitely more than that of the common people."
"However, there is also a downside to it, and that is you become very sensitive towards some things, and that happens; we are human, right? Switch on and switch off. So I feel it is a blessing for actors that through our performance we can make someone’s life better or maybe understand what is in their mind by portraying pretty much the same thing that they are going through," she added.
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May 4, 2026Maninee mentioned that in her generation there was more human-to-human contact. She said, "You met people as a human being. There were different kinds of connections. There was a warmth, a closeness, a friendship, which has reduced a little now. But I will say the advent of social media is also up to you—how you use it. It is a Brahmastra, which you should know how to use. So you can use it for a good cause and also for a wrong cause. If you are getting affected by what people think about you, they were thinking earlier also."
"Today they are writing so you feel hurt. I do not read comments. And I see social media as a weapon. Now how you want to use that weapon is up to you. You want to self-destruct; that is your problem. But if you want to reach out to people who need to hear something that you have to share with them, I think it is a fantastic place," she added.
Asked for her views on romance, she said, "Romance sells. If there is no romance in life, then there is no fun. So on television it is aspirational; if two people are watching television and they are watching that scene, they transport themselves there. And I think it is a beautiful magical medium. I think it is beautiful."
She wants to do characters that are layered, complicated, difficult, and nuanced. She said, "Where there is a challenge and I enjoy doing it, then I will definitely do it." I will never refuse."
Message to fans? "Do not take life so seriously, my friend, because no one is going to leave this place alive. Learn to laugh at yourself and stop taking yourself so seriously. And before having an opinion, just look at yourself once in the mirror," Maninee ended
