Witnessing my wife’s strength during labour transformed me: Manoj Manchu

Actor Manchu Manoj is celebrating two decades in Tollywood this year, but it’s been an eight-year hiatus since his last film. The actor, who made his debut in a lead role with Donga Dongadi in 2004, attributes this hiatus to a “necessary break to rebuild his personal life”. The actor shares, “During this time, I found love and married Mounika. Our joy was doubled when we welcomed our daughter in April 2024.”
Manoj has been relishing this new chapter in life, embracing fatherhood fully.Now, as he gears up for a comeback in 2025 with Mirai and then What the Fish, Hyderabad Times catches up with the actor for a tete-e-tete. Excerpts...
‘Experiencing the birth of my daughter was surreal’
The first time Manoj saw his baby girl, admittedly his blood pressure shot up because of his excitement. “Experiencing the birth of my daughter was surreal; it’s still sinking in. Holding her for the first time, I felt like I was cradling a precious gift from God. My sister, Lakshmi, handed her to me in the operation theatre, and as I embraced her, my emotions overwhelmed me,” he says, adding, “Witnessing my wife’s strength and pain during labour, while trying to comfort her, transformed me profoundly. It was a moment that reshaped my perspective on life.”
When his daughter was born, the room filled with joy as she let out a soft roar. The nickname “Puli” stuck, inspired by her initial reaction. “It’s a temporary moniker until we settle on her official name. The ‘MM’ in ‘MM Puli’ symbolises our bond—Manoj and Mounika,” he says.
"Experiencing the birth of my daughter was surreal. My sister Lakshmi handed her to me in the operation theatre, and as I embraced her, my emotions overwhelmed me"
‘Teja Sajja motivated me to make my comeback’
Manoj is set to make a comeback with Mirai. It was HanuMan actor Teja Sajja who approached Manoj to star in the film. “He narrated the script to me, and I fell in love with the character. It’s a crazy concept. Coming to my other project, What The Fish, it is currently in the pre-production phase and the shooting will soon commence in Canada,” he reveals, adding that the audience will witness him in never-before-seen avatars in his upcoming films.
‘Was 11 months old when I began acting; I needed a break’
Manoj was born with a passion for acting and he is always hungry for good roles. “Like Hulk says, ‘I’m always angry’, I’m always hungry for acting. When I hear a new script, my energy levels always go up,” he shares. It was in the year 2016 that Manoj felt he deserved a break. “I was 11 months old when I entered the industry as a child actor! When you are born into a film family, you need to realise when to pause and make yourself a priority. Finding Mounika helped me restart my life with a fresh perspective,” he says.