He's returning to Shorty

Monish Anand is a man of many talents – actor, model, software engineer – and now a singer.

Better known for his role as Sunil in the popular TV 2 soap Shortland Street, Monish is one of the leading singers who will take to the stage at the Dorothy Winstone Centre in Auckland at the end of the month.

He will be among a 28-strong team of performers chosen to sing in the Old is Gold Part III musical programme in Howe St on May 30.

And Monish, who lives with his parents in Auckland suburb Mt Roskill, will be back on the TV 2 screens later this year, he told Sandesh recently.

For those of you who don’t remember, Monish played playboy Sunil, brother of Shanti, in Shortland St, the home-made medical drama.

And shooting starts next month (June) for his next appearance on Shortland Street. He has landed a role in another television series Cult, which is expected to screen later in the year.

But for now, Monish, who is single and will not reveal his age, is content with putting his vocal chords to the test in rehearsals for the May 30 programme under the tutelage of “guruji” Amit Sengupta at the Mohammed Rafi Academy of Music.

Monish, who has been in New Zealand since 1997, first got interested in showbiz when he entered the Gladrags Manhunt competition in Mumbai. That competition was eventually won by Dino Morea, now one of the most sought-after stars in Bollywood.

He is selective about his roles and says it is all about quality.

“You have to believe in what you can do and do it well,” Monish says.

“While it may be all about quality and integrity, my performances will open up the door for others.

“But you also got to have fun.”

In New Zealand, Monish has featured in Gupta vs Gordon as lead character Chetan, and also in Love Has No Language, starring Bollywood star Celina Jailtley.

He had a supporting role in Madhoshi alongside John Abraham and Bipasa Basu in 2004, and in 2005 had the lead role opposite Yukta Mukhi in the film Memsaab.

Monish has also been an Indian national badminton rep, plays cricket, and enjoys bungee, parasailing, skydiving, and tennis.

So, all Monish Anand fans, you’ll get a chance to see him at the Dorothy Winstone Centre on May 30, or keep an eye out for him on Shortland Street later this year.

The confident, charismatic actor - close to being the complete entertainment package - sure knows where he's going.