Vikkas Manaktala: I want to portray Shiva in a version that’s different than what Mohit Raina did

Television audiences have time and again seen a lot of mythological shows that narrate the story of Lord Shiva. The upcoming mythological show on Star Plus ‘Namah’ shall unravel the unknown story of friendship between Lord Shiv & Lord Vishnu. Vikkas Manaktala portrays the role of Lord Shiva and Savi Thakur will be essaying the role of Lord Vishnu in the series. 

Vikkas who has been preparing for this dream role from the last few months has a different ideology when it comes to Lord Shiva and his rendition on Indian television. Vikkas shared, “When Namah came my way, I was very impressed with the way this role was penned and exactly the way I wanted to portray him (as per my understanding of the deity). This was a dream come true for me and I consider this opportunity as a form of Lord Bholenath’s blessings for me. I believe a lot in the process of learning and workshops that I attend for my preparations. My understanding and belief of Lord Shiva is that he is a larger than life hero for me and I connect with his lot of qualities.”

When asked if he has taken any inspiration from Mohit Raina’s rendition of Mahadeva, Vikkas said,” I personally do not take inspiration or follow anyone to prepare for a character. I feel I will lose the charm of the character and then it will not be my adaptation or process to get into the skin of it. At present, whenever we see the mention of Lord Shiva, viewers connect with a different image that has been portrayed before. My constant endeavor will be to do justice to the script and shape the character the way the creative team has put it forward.” 

Tune in to the mystical tale of ‘Namah’ that shall air on Star Plus from 23rd Sep, every Monday - Friday, 7:00 pm