Manava Naik is an Indian film, television, and theatre actress. She worked in the Hindi as well as the Marathi film industry. She is also a director of a Marathi film, Por Bazaar (2014). She owns the production house Strawberri Pictures.
Wiki/Biography
Manava Arun Naik was born on Thursday, 8 September 1983 (age 39 years; as of 2022) in Mumbai. Her zodiac sign is Leo. She completed her schooling at St. Joseph’s Convent High School, Mumbai. She earned a graduate degree in English literature from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai. She pursued a Master of Marketing Management at the University of Mumbai. She studied filmmaking and digital media at New York Film Academy.
Childhood photograph of Manava Naik
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 4″
Weight (approx.): 55 kg
Hair Colour: Dark Brown
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Manava Naik’s father’s name is Arun Naik, a theatre critic and translator. Meena Naik is her mother, an actress in the Marathi film industry. She is also a director, writer, puppeteer, and social activist. Manava has a sister named Shariva Naik.
Manava Naik with her father, Arun Naik, her mother, Meena Naik, and her sister, Shariva Naik
Husband & Children
Manava is married to Sushant Tungare, an Emmay Entertainment & Motion Pictures executive producer. He is well-known for the film Uri: The Surgical Strike.
Wedding picture of Manava Naik
Manava Naik with her husband, Sushant Tungare
Career
Television
Manava started her career as an actress with a Marathi serial, Abhalmaya, playing the role of Anushka Joshi from 1999 to 2001, aired on Alpha TV Marathi. In 2002, she appeared as Saguna in a famous Hindi Star Plus show, Khichdi. She played a character of a computer expert, Neha Nayar, in a popular detective television serial of Star Plus, Special Squad, in 2005. From 2005 to 2007, she played the character of Dimple in a comedy drama serial, Baa Bahoo Aur Baby, on Star Plus. She worked in another Hindi serial aired on Zee TV, Teen Bahuraaniyaan, in 2007, in which she played the role of Manjeet Mahesh Gheewala for 2 years. She played the character of Manava Vaibhav Limaye in the Marathi TV show Tuza Maza Jamena, which premiered in 2013, on Zee Marathi.
Poster of TV show Tuza Maza Jamena
Film
Manava debuted as Neelakshi (Jodha’s servant) in the historical Bollywood film Jodha Akbar, released in 2008. In 2010, Kshanbhar Vishranti was her first debut Marathi film, in which she played the character of Neha. She was the main lead in the film Langar, released in 2012, in which her character name was Malan. In a romantic Marathi film, Pindadaan, Manava appeared as Ruhi, which was released in 2016.
Poster of Manava Naik’s film Pindadaan
She did another film in 2016, Jaundya Na Balasaheb, in which she played the character of Urmi. In 2022, Manava worked in a historic film, Shivpratap Garudjhep, and she played the role of Soyra Bai (second wife of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj). She worked in other Marathi films like Fakt Ladh Mhana (2011), No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey (2012), Candle March (2014), and Dhinchak Enterprise (2016).
OTT
She worked as an X-ray producer in various web series like Mirzapur (2018), The Family Man(2019), Four More Shots Please(2020), and Paatal Lok (2020). She was an x-ray creative director of the TV series Tandav, released in 2021. She was in the camera and electrical department of the web series Dahaad, in 2023.
Theatre
Manava has performed in many theatre plays. She was part of the Marathi play Hamidabaichi Kothi, in which she played the role of Shabbo, in 2011. In 2012, she was the lead actor in a Marathi play, All the Best. She played Ophelia in a Shakespeare play, Hamlet, in Marathi, for which she got awarded as well. In December 2022, she performed in a play called Kali Rani.
Poster of play Hamidabaichi Kothi
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- She received the Young Achievers’ Award at Tarun Tejankit in 2021
Manava Naik at Tarun Tejankit Awards show in 2021
- She received Sanskruti Kala Darpan Award for her character Ophelia in the play Hamlet.
Manava Naik’s Sanskruti Kala Darpan Award
- Her Play Kali Rani got nominated for MaTa Sanman 2023.
Facts/Trivia
- She is a dog lover and owns dogs of many breeds like a beagle, labrador, and pug namely Kanoji, Mr Keshto, Hersheys, Boozo, Birbal, and Napoleon.
- In remembrance of her pet dog Kanoji, she got a tattoo of a dog paw with its name on her left shoulder.
Photo of Manava Naik’s tattoo
- At the age of 6, she was part of a children’s play and puppet show, where she played the character of Subadhra.
Manava Naik at Children’s puppet show
- She is a travel lover and usually travels with her family. She posts her pictures on her Instagram.
- She is a foodie and posts her eat-out photographs on her social media.
- Her favourite genre in films is a comedy thriller.
