In a world dominated by alpha males striving to rule every industry, some men embrace their softer side and find strength in it. Actor Viraj Ghelani and content creator Ankush Bahuguna exemplify how embracing vulnerability and openly expressing emotions is a genuine power on the latest episode of India’s first masculine positivity show ‘Be A Man, Yaar!’
Viraj and Ankush credit the strong women in their lives for the understanding and respect they have for women today. Viraj being essentially raised by a single mother talks about how he was determined to never let anyone point fingers at his mother- a motivation that drove him to work harder and remain grounded in his authenticity. He said, “Mujhe aisa tha ki kal uthke meri mummy ko koi aake aisa na bolke jaye ki iska toh husband nahi hain na toh ladka bigad gaya, so till today you will never see me drinking aur na maine koi aur tedhi cheeze kari hain.”
Ankush also talks about his mother who has been an accomplished Garhwali actress for over 3 decades now and how she sparked his passion for acting and creativity from an early age. He mentioned, “Meri mummy 30 saal se acting kar rahi hain, she wanted to get into mainstream, bollywood but it’s not an easy thing especially when you come from the regional cinema space, but she has hustled, she still goes for auditions, she can have all the problems in the world with me but she will always support me when it comes to performing and following my passion because she has been there and she understands.”
However it’s not just their mother that they consider their pillar of strength, it was also their sisters that have shaped their lives massively. Viraj shares how his sisters taught him the importance of treating women with respect and the right way to interact with them. He recalled, “growing up meri behno ne bas ek cheez sikhaayi hain, do not misbehave with any of the girls in your life because jo tu baaki ladkiyo ke saath karega, teri behen ke saath bhi koi kar sakta hain! I love my sisters so much because whatever I am today it’s because of them and my mother.”
Ankush offers a different perspective, revealing how his sisters showed him that women can be both, powerful and strong, “I remember ek baar ek ladke ne meri behen ko chedha tha and phir dono beheno ne jaake unko peeta tha. Ek baar ek bacha mujhe tang kar raha tha unhone jaake usko peeta tha, so I thought you can be badass as a woman also because I saw my sisters like that.”
Reflecting on his relationship with his father and feeling that he was letting him down for not being the "alpha male", Ankush said, “Growing up as a son to a father who was an alpha male I constantly felt like I am disappointing him, we had nothing in common, I felt like agar mein unhe apne interest bataunga toh woh mujhe judge karenge. After I made something of my life, I think that’s when he eventually accepted me.”
On the other hand, Viraj recalled spending nearly three months mimicking his friend and ‘Little Things’ actor Dhruv Jurel to be liked by everyone. He recalled how Dhruv gradually helped him accept his flaws and be his true self and added, “Dhruv told me to accept my flaws, if you own up to them, there will be 10,000 people who will relate to you, be yourself, make mistakes, Tab se maine Gujarati mein videos banana chalu kiya and I want to put that Gujarati community on the world map ki hum sirf jalebi faafda nahi khaate, hum Cannes bhi jaate hain.”
Throughout the episode, Viraj and Ankush discuss their female friendships, the strength in vulnerability, the differences in hate between men and women, green flag behavior, and their family backgrounds, exploring how these experiences shaped their content and authenticity.
You can watch the fresh episodes of #BeAManYaar powered by The Man Company on Yuvaa’s YouTube channel. You can also enjoy the extended unfiltered wholesome episodes on Amazon Music.
