Look up guys, we are young and experienced too!

A page from the personal diary of Manish Goel I remember almost a decade back when I was running office to office for work changing two to three, sometimes four buses with loads of enthusiasm, hope and anxiety only to hear the producers ask me just one question: ‘What is your experience?’ Hmmm and in a few seconds, all my hopes would crash down and I would be back to my nest, staring in the mirror asking myself only one thing, ‘When will I become an experienced actor?’ Days, weeks, months, years passed by… Our BEST buses were revamped but I could only graduate to an ‘E’ for Extra Artist with no E for Experience at all. Until the day came when birds chirped for me too, when sunshine grew brighter and the crowded buses were no more crowded because I was a known face in that crowd. I had created an identity for myself and I would proudly walk into a producer’s office and boast of my experience and then work followed in a steady stream and I had eventually become a tiny star in the galaxy of TV celebrities… It was a roller coaster ride and I sat right in the front, loving to take every risk and living on the edge… I chose one project a year and was happy and content but the unexpected happened soon. Strike, recession, budgets and windfall of new comers… wonder if producers still ask them about their “experience” while those of my ilk are possibly still striving hard to get some more experience. But things have changed now as they don’t go for experience but worry about how well your looks fit the role. I was recently offered the role which apparently has now gone to Yashpal Sharma. I had prepared for the role by growing my beard for seven days as it required a very rash and unkempt look. But when I reached the venue, I was told that I looked too young for the role and in fact should consider the character of the younger brother of the character earlier offered to me.” Yet, all is still well. God has been kind to most of us who managed to float along, through the roughest waves and still do a show a year but most of the times we are written off as “old”. Well, the fact of the matter is we are getting younger by the day and looking it too; possibly better than what we did in our “younger” days. And yes, we have loads of experience too. So, look up guys because life is a vicious circle.