After having built a robust career spanning over four decades, Manoj Pahwa often looks for a sense of responsibility in his work. The actor couldn’t be happier that it came in the form of Perfect Family.
“When you come to this industry, you do a lot of work because you need to keep your kitchen running and pay the rent. But there are some works that make you realise your purpose and what you can do for society. After working for 30-40 years, you ask yourself, ‘Are you fulfilling your responsibility as an artiste?’ This is one of those shows,” he says of the Gulshan Devaiah and Girija Oak-led dramedy that highlights the importance of mental health.
Personally, Pahwa believes that mental health awareness is essential. But it took him some time to reach this realisation. Initially, he was dismissive about therapy. “Seema [Pahwa, wife and co-actor] mentioned a few times that we should see a psychiatrist. My reaction was typical of a chauvinist Punjabi man from Delhi. I told her, ‘What’s wrong with my mind? Everything is going great.’ I had no big ambitions. We were getting to eat and drink what we wanted; that was enough. But gradually, I realised the importance of therapy and mental health. I haven’t sought therapy, but we’ve understood that it’s a good thing to do.”