‘Desi Rascals’: Manoj Shah and family heading to Mumbai?

September 11 2015

Brit reality TV show Dad, who is never far from shedding a tear or two about his two grown-up daughters, has revealed he wants to take the family to India to see just what dancer Jo is letting herself in for, after her dramatic career breakthrough and the end of Series 2…

NOTE: MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN FINAL EPISODE!

By Chayya Syal

MANOJ SHAH, one of the stars of the TV show, “Desi Rascals” has told www.asianculturevulture.com he wants his family to visit India.

He said he had been thinking about such a trip even before daughter Jo heard she had won a place to a prestigious acting school owned by renowned Bollywood actor, Anupam Kher, in Mumbai.

In an interview, before viewers saw episode 6, when they heard founder and director of the school, Kher (and the Dad in the “Bend It Like Beckham” film) deliver the news directly on the phone to Jo – Manoj revealed he had been talking to the family about a trip to the motherland.

Manoj also revealed he suffered a fate not too different to Jess’s Dad in “Bend It Like Beckham“. He dreamed of playing cricket but his hopes were dashed when he was classified as ‘an overseas player’ and ended up abandoning the game, his dreams and working in the City instead.

Manoj with his girls daughters: Jo (far left) Natalie and wife Celia

“Desi Rascals” ended its second series on Wednesday evening (September 9) on Sky1, with a number of hanging storylines. There has been no decision on a third instalment of the series which first hit screens in January.

Manoj also told us that neither his wife Celia nor daughters Jo and Natalie had been to India before.

He voiced his concerns about Jo going to India on her own for the first time to enrol on her acting course.

He said: “As a father I’ve been to India. They’ve not seen that life; I was born in Uganda and I’d never been to India before 1986. The poverty there was a shock for me. When I saw it, it really got to me and it took me a while to get used to it.”

He said that he has family in Mumbai and hopes they will look out for Jo, but accepted that had its limits.

“I’ve got family in Mumbai but they can only look after so much,” he admitted.

He said he wants Jo to follow her dreams but again realises it will be tough to break through and make an impact.

He confided: “Bollywood is a massive industry. It’s a precocious world; I think it’s who you know as well as there – which may help but we don’t know anybody (in the business) out there.”

Now that Jo has secured her place at Kher’s ‘Actor Prepares’ school, will Manoj be able to persuade Celia to visit?

“I’d like her (Celia) to go and have a look at what India’s about – I’ve even suggested that we go to India.

“Celia can’t get past the poverty we see on TV. I’ve told her to go out there to experience what the real India’s all about. I want them (the family) to experience that – that’s what I did when my brother and I went.”

On Wednesday’s programme, Jo’s storyline occupied much of the last quarter, with a special send off and then viewers witnessed a secret romantic rendezvous with former flame, Moses Baig.

Celia helps Manoj with the FB 'Q&A with Meddling Manoj the Love Guru'

The two enjoyed an intimate dance and were seen kissing lightly at the very end of the programme.

The couple – who came together during Series 1, earning the affectionate hashtag #MoJo – had drifted apart between the end of that series and the beginning of 2.

Jo told Moses that she no longer wanted to be a couple, but the two agreed to remain good friends.

Manoj had been criticised for seemingly interfering in their relationship in Series 1 and it is well known that Moses believes Shah senior could still be a factor in resuming any long term relationship with Jo.

He raised the point in a heart-to-heart with friend Owais in the final episode before he slipped off to prepare for his romantic surprise.

But Manoj told us he thought all the guys including Moses were “pretty cool”, and saw the young men in the show as his sons.

“The boys around me on the show are like my sons. Personally, I don’t feel any tension with those guys.”

He said he was keen to shake off the tag, ‘Meddling Manoj’ – from Series 1, and even joked about it and didn’t take it too seriously.

“I am trying to lose that tag! But it’s really hard to because now I’ve been tarnished with it and everyone thinks that I can fix everything.

“It’s really fun, but when you’ve got daughters, their dad will always get involved! I was trying to pick a boy for Jo and Natalie, but both of them are very strong-headed and won’t really listen to me, so Celia came up with the ‘stop meddling in their lives’.

“They did this thing on Facebook, it was called ‘Q&A with Meddling Manoj the Love Guru’, where people commented in with their problems and I tried to solve them. It’s a bit of fun I guess but I’m trying to lose that tag!”

Some viewers have been critical of showing too much of the young (and beautiful) people, while reducing the time given to the older generation in contrast to series 1.

Manoj agreed they were not on TV so much in this series, but said there were good reasons for that.

Established reality TV stars Jasmin Walia from the hit, “The Only Way is Essex” and Solomon (Solly) Akhtar, one of the finalists in tycoon Alan Sugar’s BBC smash, “The Apprentice“, joined the cast of unknowns for this series which began in July.

“It’s (been) totally different as we’ve had new cast members – us oldies had a lot of airtime in Series 1 – especially the Shahs and Varas.

Manoj as you have never seen him before, watch the final episode to see what this is about...

“The audience out there needed to get to know the new members. It’s a bit of fun for us; it’s not the-be-all-and-end-all for us oldies if we aren’t shown.”

He has thoroughly enjoyed his newfound fame – he, Brij Thathal and Jay Vara went on the flagship BBC Asian Network radio phone-in programme headed by Nihal last month and was pretty relaxed about the big question when we asked him – will there be a Series 3?

“I really don’t know to be honest, I’m really hoping there will be. I think the audience out there loved all of the cast members. We’ve put our heart and souls out there; what happens to us is on TV.

“I’d like to thank Gurinder (Chadha) and Tony Wood (the programme creators) who have been excellent; it’s such a privilege to get to know these guys and to pass the audition.

He added: “I really hope Sky have enjoyed what we’ve put out there. Six or seven months ago I was an ordinary man on a train going to work, now I get recognised, it’s a bit overwhelming.

“I think the youngsters can take it in their stride. It now depends on how many people watch it and other shows we’re in competition with such as ‘The Great British Bake Off’.

“If Sky like it, they may allow it, I’d be delighted if the Shahs were picked again (for Series 3). Even if we’re not, we’ve enjoyed the experience.”

• What do you think? They were high expectations after Series 1 and much of the mass media was positive because it covered territory not covered by other reality TV shows, including interfaith relationships, intergenerational conflict and the inside view on a minority group striving to forge careers and relationships in a sometimes hostile and unsympathetic environment…
• Next week Chayya Syal’s review of the final episode and our verdict…stay tuned by liking us/commenting on FACEBOOK or TWITTER