MUMBAI: Every actor, whether new or seasoned, dreams of sharing the screen with a veteran actor to learn and grow. Actress Mansi Parekh was fortunate not only to share the screen with the seasoned actor Paresh Rawal but also to play his daughter-in-law in the Gujarati film 'Dear Father.' Recently, during a roundtable streaming on Shemaroo Gujarati Manorajan’s YouTube Channel, she recalled her telephonic conversation with Paresh Rawal, whom she fondly calls Paresh Sir, and also shared her experience of working with him.

Taking down the memory lane, Mansi recalled, “When I was working with Paresh Rawal Sir for the movie 'Dear Father,' I got an unexpected call from him saying, 'We are thinking we should cast you.' I was so excited that I instantly said, 'Yes’, obviously, who would say no? Years ago, Paresh Sir had also asked me to join the theatre play 'Dear Father,' but I was committed to another play at that time. There's a reason why someone like Paresh Sir has been in the industry for 40-45 years successfully—he's a pure actor with a remarkable command of his craft. His ability to deliver dialogues with perfect pauses and impact makes everything seem so effortless. It was surreal to shoot with such a legend, and yet, he was so down-to-earth off-set. He was incredibly disciplined about rehearsals, having done almost 800 shows of 'Dear Father,' yet still giving 100% every time.

The roundtable, hosted by Deepali Chhatwani, featuring top six Guajarati actresses, during which Mansi shared her thoughts, is streaming on Shemaroo Gujarati Manorajan's YouTube channel. It also includes actresses Aarti Patel, Manasi Parekh, Aarohi Patel, Esha Kansara, Puja Joshi, and Kinjal Rajpriya engaging in a candid discussion about the intricacies of the industry.

Talking about Dear Father, it is a remake of Marathi film Aapla Manus. Directed by Umang Vyas, the Gujarati-language thriller drama stars Paresh Rawal, Manasi Parekh and Chetan Dhanani in the lead roles.