by Subhash K Jha

Many TV actors before him including Amarr Upadhyay and Parmeet Sethi have failed. Will Manish Goel who shot to renewed fame with his appearance on Nach Baliye make the grade?

"This is the year that will decide my fate once and for all. I'm ready to make the leap from television to cinema. I'm aware that other tv stars have fallen flat on their face in trying films. But my transition won't be that sudden."

Manish plans to cut himself from television after his current serial is over. "The afternoon soap Bhabhi has made me a household name. I'm known more by my character's name in that serial than my own name. To go from being Tilak to Manish in the public mind won't be easy. After Bhabhi completes its innings soon I plan to take a long break,change my look completely and come back in films."

Will Manish succeed where his colleagues have repeatedly floundered? "I don't know! I'm praying to prove the cynics wrong. Nach Baliye has given me a renewed self-confidence. I wonder if I can use that success to go to another level in my career.

My wife Poonam tells me there's nothing more I can do on television. Either I go further or I remain where I am. The decision will have to be made this year. I'm 30 and my film career either starts now or never."

In the same breath Manish also confesses that he might be doing more television. "Ekta Kapoor offered me the guest appearance that Iqbal Khan did on Kahiin To Hoga. But at that time I was completely into the semi-finals of Nach Baliye. But I'm all for Ekta's offer as soon as she gives me something substantial to do."

So it it more television or cinema for this self-confessed highest paid actor on TV?