India, July 7 -- Actor Manav Kaul is set to don the director's hat after 13 years. He exclusively tells us that he has locked locations for his untitled next in Uttarakhand and the shoot starts this November. "The movie is based on my book Sakshatkar. It did well, so I adapted it into a screenplay and set it in the Himalayas. I am acting in the film too, alongside (actors) Kumud Mishra, Manasi Bhawalkar and some theatre artistes. We have finalised a few untouched locations in Kumaon and Garhwal," says Manav. Speaking about his past directorial ventures, he says, "I directed Hansa in 2010 and Tathagat in 2012, which were released in 2012 and 2021, respectively. Bahut garibi main shoot ki thi dono films. So eventually, I released them on YouTube. It was an experiment and a great learning experience." Ask what took him over a decade to get back to directing a film, and he says other crafts kept him occupied: "After 2012, I wasn't ready for many years. I was juggling multiple roles - acting, theatre and writing books. Filmmaking demands at least a year of dedicated time. So now, I have taken a break from everything to focus entirely on this. Since my theatre group is also involved in the film, we are all very excited." Will the film be a commercial one or more in the indie space? "It's set in a fun zone, has good humour and a gripping story that will appeal to a wider audience. I am not fixated on the commercial aspect, as my priority is making a good film. If we deliver a good product, it will definitely find its audience. I believe in the script and will pour my heart and soul in it. Of course, since filmmaking is a business, we would like it to do well commercially," he ends....