Manish Raisinghani on Bollywood Influence, Acting Craft, and Finding Authenticity
Actor Manish Raisinghani, who is popularly known for his impactful performances in shows like Kaahin Kissii Roz, Kahiin to Hoga, Kkehna Hai Kuch Mujhko, Teen Bahuraniyaan, Sasural Simar, and Ek Shringaar-Swabhiman, among others, shares that Bollywood has significantly influenced his craft. He explains Bollywood isn’t just entertainment; it’s a language of emotion.
Inspiration vs Imitation: His Acting Philosophy
Manish Raisinghani said, “I’m a full-on Bollywood buff.” I think all of us carry a little bit of our heroes within us. There’s a little Shah Rukh Khan sir in the way we romance, a little Amitabh Bachchan sir when we’re angry or in a drunken scene, a glimpse of Akshay Kumar sir or Paresh Rawal sir in comedy, and of course, a bit of Salman Khan sir in swag. That influence is inevitable, as we have grown up watching them and loving them; it’s almost cultural.”
“And for me, I love and respect that and also try to find myself not to get into the imitation trap; I love to keep it to influence and make sure it is not imitation, it’s inspiration. “There is no harm I feel in borrowing the spark, but you have to build your own fire,” Manish Raisinghani added.
Acting Like MMA: Training Mind and Body for Performance
For him, preparation for a role is a lot like MMA training. Manish Raisinghani said, “You drill, you repeat, you condition your body and mind—so much that it becomes second nature, but you cannot take the instruction manual with you in the ring.”
“My method is a little crazy; I’m borderline dyslexic, so I don’t really read scripts; I hear them. I loop them again and again, almost like a track—using tech, just playing it on repeat till it seeps in. Then I started playing with it. Where can I add a layer? What can make this character more dangerous, more charming, more broken?”
“If the backstory isn’t fully there, I build my own. If it is there, I still toy with it—because a character, like an iceberg or, in desi terms, like a hand pump, what you see above is barely 10%. The real pressure, the real depth, is underneath. So all of this becomes practice sparring, shadowboxing, and repetition. But the real fight? That begins when the camera rolls.
Because, like Bruce Lee said, ‘Boards don’t hit back.’ And when you rehearse, you are practicing with a board but in the ring, no amount of preparation can fully predict what will come at you in that moment — your co-actor, the emotion, the silence, something from within you that just shows up unexpectedly. So I stop preparing and start reacting. Because the second you become conscious, you stop being real. So the complete training is all about training with your mind but performing like it’s a fight—instinct, not instructions,” Manish Raisinghani added.
Why Honesty Matters More Than Technique in Acting
Asked his method when working across different genres or characters, Manish Raisinghani said, “Genres change the rhythm, not the truth.” Comedy needs timing, action needs energy, and drama needs stillness, but the emotion underneath has to remain honest. So I don’t think I need to change my truth; I change my tempo.”
“It’s like dancing, different songs, same heartbeat. “Characters change; honesty doesn’t,” Manish Raisinghani ended.
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