Maninee De, who is part of the short film Pravaah - The Flow, written, directed, and produced by Simmer Bhatia, says that it was the concept of the film that got her on board.
“The concept of the film is so beautiful. It was all about twin flames, connections, the flow which is life, isn’t it? And ‘Pravaah’ is such a beautiful name. Then the concept resonated with me,” she says, adding, “The character has something that resonates with my soul. I also believe in twin connections and soulmate connections, and yes, it resonated with me.”
The film encapsulates a journey and travelling is very close to Maninee’s heart, she says, “Traveling is almost like breathing to me, it’s like oxygen. I love travelling and discovering new places; it just keeps me alive, and that’s my thing in life,” she says.
Talking about working with director-writer-producer Simmer Bhatia, she says, “Working with Simmer was pure joy. She is such a creative force and one of the most spiritually evolved people I have met. A wonderful human being, and I got a friend through this film, so I am ever so grateful for this film for bringing me Simmer.”
The shoot was amazing as well, she says, adding, “There were many incidents during the shoot that will always remain with me. It was freezing cold and windy, and it was nighttime as we were near the Parvati River, in the forest next to it. Navigating that path was quite a challenge. The sequence required Sharad and I to sit on huge rocks, which were freezing. That’s something I will never forget. There was also a tent that was part of our entire scene, which I think actually kept us going. It was quite a challenging shoot, and even the next day, we waited for the right light and everything. Shooting in nature has its own challenges, but Simmer and her team really looked after us. The team was great. Sharad Malhotra and I have worked on another web show, and he is such a wonderful boy. He is not just a very talented person, but he is an extremely dedicated and easy person to work with, so it was a joy working with Sharad. Unfortunately, I couldn’t work with Vikas. I think by the time I landed, he had to leave, so I missed working with Vikas. But overall, I think it was such a joy working with the entire team.”
