Manish Dayal photographed by Zack Wolfe for Tilted Style, March 2021

Manish Dayal with Matt Czuchry in The Resident

“I got a liberal arts education and a degree in business, however, I was always latched to film and appreciated well-acted and complicated performances. I studied filmmaking as well which shifted to acting after I played a bit part in a friend’s student project. After that, I was hooked. Additionally after 9/11, many of us had to re-evaluate ourselves. It was important to hone in on what exactly I could legitimately contribute to the discussion. People with brown skin, for example, were not being represented with any dignity and the larger and more dangerous consequence was that our country wasn’t being reflected properly. IMO, after 9/11, acting and film went from passion to a responsibility.”

I used to take photographs and I was really into it—this is before Instagram and filters. Now it's become a little different, but I'm still into it and I still do a lot of photography. I box, that's something that I like to do a lot, this awesome thing that keeps you physically in check but also mentally. There's a mind thing that boxing has to it that I find awesome.

I love India so much. It’s sort of the most chaotic but also disciplined place at the same time. Every time I go there, I feel like I’m ready to rock and roll.

ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇs: manish dayal [1/50]

Manish Dayal by Yoni Goldberg