article on Daksh....Manav Gohil

It's a rainy evening and I'm waiting at Mah Jong, a swanky new Chinese restaurant in Khar, waiting for Manav Gohil, the hot, chocolate boy on Indian television. He saunters in 10 minutes late, talking on his mobile phone, wearing a stunning floral shirt (Tommy Hilfiger, he reveals), cargo pants (Diesel) and that trademark dimple on his cheek.

Since we're meeting over dinner, our conversation veers towards food and Manav tells me that while he loves to eat, he's not a good cook at all. "I can just about get by with frying an egg in an emergency," he laughs. "My wife, Shweta is a great cook. I enjoy eating at home whenever my schedule permits," he adds.

For the record, Manav grew up a vegetarian (being from Gujarat) but enjoys eating non-vegetarian food. But he's allergic to prawns. There are times when Manav and Shweta simply get into the car and head for Thai Ban, a Thai food restaurant near his house or enjoy an Italian meal at Little Italy (also near his house).

These are some of life's most sublime moments for him and unlike most actors, Manav is not a party-animal. "I like dancing, but I rarely go to nightclubs. I prefer freaking out at friends' birthday parties where I can just be myself. That's also why I hardly have time to cultivate hobbies. So now, I have made my work my hobby!" he says.

But when he does get the time, Manav enjoys playing games on his computer, going for long drives, playing with his dog and dabbles in a bit of photography too. "I enjoy photographing wildlife, landscapes and portraits," he tells us. "One of my favourites is a picture of an old man that I took in Kerala. It has a lot of character and each line on his face seems to tell a story of its own," he says. In fact, Manav rarely has time to workout, either! "I'm quite happy with my body. When I can, I do free-hand exercises and skipping at home. I'm not into building my body but I do maintain myself by watching my diet and avoid very oily and sweet foods!"

Apart from not liking a hectic party life, Manav also does not like reading! "I have never been one to read and I just about manage to get through a newspaper," he jests. But surprisingly, this one-time Mr. Gujarat is currently reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, "Only because everybody is talking about it and I wanted to see for myself what the buzz was all about," he admits. So far, he's enjoyed the book but confesses that he's reading it slowly!

Manav enjoys watching films. "Some of my favourites are The Irreversible (French), Memento, Amores Perros, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black and Hera Pheri." As far as his clothes are concerned, Manav is brand-conscious and enjoys shopping in places like New York. "I find better bargains and good fits at foreign designer stores. A lot of my clothes are by Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, GAP and Zara. I'm partial to shoes by Kenneth Cole and my favourite watch is by Zara," he reveals.

Indian designers don't figure on his list because, "I don't know of any local designer who does quality men's wear that is stylized and funky!" Being a well-known face, Manav has had his share of "wardrobe malfunctions" too! He shares a particularly funny experience.

"I was in the US for a Navratri show and when I came onto the stage, the girls just went into a frenzy. And before I knew it, they rushed onto stage and ripped my shirt off! In retrospect it's funny. But at that moment, I was really scared and was hoping they wouldn't have the rest of my clothes off too!"