Ketan Mangaonkar, Endemolshine Creative Director & Project Head, Shares His Take On 'Favouritism & Friendship'

On different occasions, nitezians are seen blaming on makers for favouritism while supporting their favourite contestants in reality TV show. Responding to which Ketan Mangaonkar, the Creative Director and Project Head - Endemolshine India shares how he manage friendship and professional relations.

Responding his thoughts on making friends. He adds, "Most of my friendships are professional and built on mutual respect. If an artist respects me as a director, I naturally give them the same respect as an artist. I truly value that balance. I prefer keeping my professional and personal lives separate because I enjoy having different kinds of conversations - things beyond work - when I sit down for lunch or dinner.
For me, friendship is a mix of trust and honesty. Some people are genuinely grounded, while others carry unnecessary attitude - and I'm quite unapologetic about calling that out directly. Maybe that's why my circle is small, but it's made up of people who are real and trustworthy."

Talking about himself, his journey to the world of entertainment. He added, "I come from a middle-class family with no background or support in the entertainment industry, but ever since college, I dreamt of becoming a director and making my mark. The journey wasn't easy - it was filled with ups and downs, countless sleepless nights, and moments of uncertainty. But through it all, I stayed focused and carved my own path. I had to become the sole breadwinner of my family at a very early age, and that responsibility shaped a lot of my choices. Maybe I would've been a film director today, but I have no regrets - television gave me both identity and stability. When I look back now, every bit of that struggle feels worth it."

Sharing his future plans Ketan revealed his love for writing books. "I have two clear goals ahead of me.
First, I definitely want to direct a film in the future - that has always been my ultimate dream, and I know I'll achieve it when the time is right. Second, my book titled Gypsy, which was published last year in Marathi, is very close to my heart. I want it to be translated and published in other languages across India so that more readers can connect with it. I also plan to write and publish more books in the coming years and eventually become one of the renowned writers in the country," he concluded.