Born on September 5, Maanvi Gagroo hails from New Delhi. After completing her graduation in Psychology from Gargi College, Maanvi stepped into the acting field with the television show Dhoom Machaao Dhoom in 2007. The Disney show marked the debut platform of many actors who later went to have a successful acting career like Sriti Jha, Kinshuk Mahajan, Toral Rasputra, Vikrant Massey and Jay Bhanushali. (All photos/Maanvi Gagroo's official Instagram account)
In picture: Maanvi Gagroo at the press conference of her debut film Aamras - The Sweet Taste Of Friendship (2009). "Debut film ki debut press con. #throwback #aamras #RakhiChaddha #oldheadshotday [sic]" Maanvi captioned the picture.
In 2008, Maanvi Gagroo appeared in The Cheetah Girls: One World, where she played the role of Ambika Gill, a tambourine playing Bollywood fan. However, she garnered attention with her performance in the 2009 film Aamras: The Sweet Taste of Friendship. While the film flopped at the Box Office, Maanvi was noticed by the right eyes and she started getting offers then on!
In 2011, Maanvi Gagroo had a small role in No One Killed Jessica and in 2014, she played Anushka Sharma's colleague in PK.
In picture: Maanvi Gagroo on the sets of PK. "The toughest scene ever! Didn't know how to ride a scooty. Still don't. My 2 tutors @_anushkasharma and Raju Sir. Thanks for trying though. Photo courtesy, my dear friend @rahoul #Pk #PKdiaries #shoot #Latergram #throwback #OnSet," Maanvi captioned this photo.
With time, things changed for Maanvi Gagroo as she got a chance to play different roles. She got featured in web shows like TVF Pitchers in 2015 and later in TVF Tripling and Permanent Roommates (season 2), through which Maanvi proved her versatility.
Just a year ago, Maanvi Gagroo also faced sordid casting couch experience, involving a web series maker. The actress got a call from the producer in question, with an offer for a role in an upcoming web series.
Pictured: Maanvi Gagroo's childhood picture. She captioned it: "Quirky styling Quirkier confidence"
"They were like, 'we're doing a web series and we wanted to cast you'. They told me the budget and I said, 'no, this is too less and why are we talking about the budget? Tell me the script. Only if I'm interested and you are interested in roping me, we can discuss about money, dates and all'. So he's like 'we're asking people if they are okay with the budget'. When I said 'no, it's less', he tripled the budget just in his next sentence. He said, 'I can give you this much also, but aapko 'compro' (compromise) karna padega'," Maanvi revealed in an interview.
Maanvi said she heard the word 'compro' (compromise) after seven or eight years. "Suddenly, I don't know what triggered me, I started abusing him. Told him "aap phone rakho (hang up the phone), how dare you? Mai police ko complaint kar rahi hu' (I am going to file a police complaint). I was really mad because in this pro imposed #MeToo era, I was baffled at how things like this still happen," she said.
Pictured: A childhood picture of Maanvi with her sister. She captioned the picture, quirkily, which read: Who's that boy?! Breaking gender stereotypes since time immemorial #throwback to chilling with the sibling. When studio pics were the shizz!!
Very few know that Maanvi Gagroo was passionate about dancing. She in kathak till she was 12, and later tried her hands at jazz, as that was big at the time in the early 2000s.
As an artiste who has dabbled in films as well as web shows, Gagroo says that she has had the first-hand experience of the bias. "Let alone pay gap, the treatment and perks differ as well. Of course, I cannot compare myself to a Shah Rukh Khan, or Ayushmann Khurrana [Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan co-star] because they pull the numbers. However, when someone relatively new or junior to me gets better treatment, it bothers me. The difference is evident in the smallest things – from the small vanity vans to the car that comes to picks you up."
During her initial days of career, Maanvi Gagroo got typecast as a bubbly and chubby girl, mostly Punjabi. "Most people would cast me as a 'Punjabi bubbly girl' and while I didn't have a problem with these traits really, I was getting bored of playing the same character over and over again. Even if I tried something different within that, I was told to do it in that exact specific manner. That's when I stopped going for these auditions," Maanvi told in an interview.
2019 was a fruitful year for the actress. While all of her projects like Tripling, Four More Shots Please!, Ujda Chaman and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhaan, have kept Maanvi super busy, they also gave her time to travel.
"I've been to locations I might or might not have gone to on my own. They've given me time to rejuvenate between projects," she said. All in all, 2019 was a joyous year, busier, and more productive year.
Pictured: A still from the film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, where Maanvi played the role of Goggle Tripathi.
The second season of Four More Shots Please! is already out and is garnering praises for the content. The Amazon Original Series Four More Shots Please! stars Sayani Gupta, Kirti Kulhari, Bani J and Maanvi Gagroo along with an all-star ensemble cast including Prateik Babbar, Lisa Ray, Milind Soman, Neil Bhoopalam, Simone Singh and Amrita Puri.
Pictured: Maanvi Gagroo shared this throwback picture and wrote alongside, "This pic DOES NOT do justice to my wild teens Throwback to my first photoshoot ever! I was such a baby, so awkward and uncomfortable to face the camera. But full marks for style yo! #babygotswag #throwback #childhoodmemories #dhoommachaodhoom"
"Season one was about the four girls and their individual lives. In the next edition, the story looks at the dynamics of the group and their equation. The scale has become much bigger than season one," says Gagroo of the edition that has been shot in Turkey.
Here's wishing more success and happiness to Maanvi Gagroo! Keep rocking, girl!
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