Best known for her roles in Prime Video’s Four More Shots Please! and TVF’s Tripling, Maanvi Gagroo’s latest web series is Half Love, Half Arranged on Amazon miniTV where she plays Dr Riya Tanwar, dealing with love, marriage and family. Maanvi talked to us about the series, her character, the prank she played on co-actor Karan Wahi and why she struggles with comedy.

What kind of reactions have you been receiving for Half Love, Half Arranged?

Maanvi Gagroo: Mostly it’s been online – people have been writing messages and reviews. One girl wrote a long piece about the show and how she related to it in terms of the family dynamics and the issues that the character goes through. It was an emotional post which I liked and shared with the team.

For me, a show is successful when someone recognises me by the character’s name. In fact, today, when I was coming back from somewhere, someone called, ‘Riya!’ I didn’t react to Riya at first. Then they said, ‘Dr Riya’ and I realised they were talking to me. The girl told me that she had just watched the show. That was the first time I was recognised as Riya in person. That felt really nice.

Did your faith in Half Love, Half Arranged happen immediately when it came to you or did it happen over time?

Maanvi Gagroo: Honestly, it happened over a period of time. When I first read the script, it sounded like a familiar plot. There’s a girl who’s looking to get married and her family is also looking out for a groom for her but nothing is working out. It felt like it’s been done before.

But I was still really excited because I liked the dialogues and the character a lot. When we started doing workshops and rehearsals and when I met the makers, I liked the way they were seeing the show. They were not seeing it in a cliched way. They wanted to bring in a sense of freshness even in the way they would shoot it. That’s when I said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ I was 100 per cent in after that.

Half Love, Half Arranged is a romantic dramedy. Are you a fan of the genre? Maanvi Gagroo: I am definitely a fan of this genre. I have grown up watching films and shows in this genre. I remember, in the early 2000s, we were consuming a lot of western content like Friends, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. These were sitcoms but there were elements of romance and drama. I have always wanted to do something like this.

Now I watch a lot of thrillers. But there are times when I want to watch something light and for a long time, we did not have anything like that. I would go back to Friends and The Big Bang Theory. Then there were Schitt’s Creek and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Now, with OTT there is definitely room for this genre. But as much as you want to watch something light, you don’t want something mindless. I have phases when I watch some feel-good shows.

What does Maanvi like about Dr Riya? Is there any quality of Riya that you wish you had?

Maanvi Gagroo: Honestly, I am very different from Dr Riya in the sense that I am not organised at all. I don’t plan things. I don’t have set goals or anything. So, that is something I would like to borrow but not to the extent that Riya has. There are times when Riya is practically OCD. I would want some sort of discipline or organisation in my life. I have always been a spontaneous person. I go with the flow and don’t plan much. Even if I plan, I don’t get attached to the plans like holidays and stuff.

How did you work on your screen chemistry with your co-actor Karan Wahi?

Maanvi Gagroo: Thankfully, it was not that big a deal because Karan is a chilled-out guy. The first time I met him was actually at a red carpet event that he was hosting along with Anusha Dandekar. I was walking the red carpet when Anusha said, ‘Let’s play a prank on Karan.’ The prank was that when he comes to us, I don’t recognise him. So, when he came to shake hands with him, I said, ‘I’m sorry, who are you?’ And he said, ‘I am Karan. I am going to be opposite you in your next show.’ At that time, the show hadn’t even been announced. I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ And then we had a hearty laugh.

When we met at the table reads, we got along instantly. He is a seasoned actor because he has been working in the industry for so long. He knows how to be sweet and romantic, so I was taking a cue from him and going along with what was there in the scene.

You’ve acted in quite a few ensembles – films and series. Have you experienced a sense of competitiveness or insecurity among actors in such scenarios?

Maanvi Gagroo: I don’t think the current generation of actors or the upcoming generation of actors are competitive like that. They’re competitive with themselves. I don’t think that they’re insecure with each other. What happens in good ensembles is that every actor has a meaty role. So, when you feel secure with the part, you’re happy. You don’t end up encroaching on others’ space. I don’t think it happens much, or at least people don’t vocalise it. I think it also depends on the director and the team because they kind of set the culture on the sets. It’s the team that makes each other feel secure.

Four More Shots Please! and TVF’s Tripling have given you visibility and popularity. Are you now in a place where you can pick and choose from the roles that are offered to you?

Maanvi Gagroo: Four More Shots Please!, Tripling and even Half Love, Half Arranged have not only given me visibility but also a sense of credibility. People now consider me a good actor because they have seen my work. When they call me, it is usually for a substantial part. They don’t call me for something random, which was the case earlier. Thankfully, now I have the luxury of choice. I can say no to things that don’t excite me or it could be any other reason – script, people, money.

And how do you want to capitalise on this situation?

Maanvi Gagroo: There are a couple of properties that I wouldn’t want to let go of like Four More Shots Please!, Tripling and Half Love, Half Arranged if they have more seasons. Honestly, I just want to do good work, work that excites me and I enjoy. I want to work with fun, kind, positive people. You might be a genius but if you’re a horrible person on set screaming and shouting, that’s not my ideal workplace or culture.

Is there an emotion that you struggle with while acting?

Maanvi Gagroo: Dude, comedy! People think that I can do comedy very well. I like to believe that I am a funny person in real life. But in real life, there’s no pressure to be funny. It’s okay if I crack a joke but people don’t laugh. But while acting, there’s pressure to be funny. That is number one. Number two, you’re cracking a joke which is written by someone else. It’s not as natural as it is in real life. And number three, the retakes. It becomes mechanical and it’s a big enemy of humour when it’s not spontaneous. As an actor, I am still struggling with comedy. I haven’t yet figured out how to be funny in every take. But I am trying to enjoy it and not overthink it.