UK Theatre and Dance alum Taha Mandviwala finding his next act

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 20, 2026) — When the national touring production of “Life of Pi” ended last fall, 2016 University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts graduate Taha Mandviwala, who had the title role of Pi Patel, was ready for the next chapter in his life.

In June 2026, that chapter began. Mandviwala was selected as one of 10 actors from 42,000 submissions for Disney Television Discovers: Talent Showcase. The program allows emerging performers to collaborate on an original television project and showcase their work.

London, Kentucky, native Mandviwala and his nine fellow actors were cast in “Death to My Twenties,” an original comedy ensemble piece from writer Brittani Nichols and based on characters by Austin S. Harris. He plays the character Dev in the 39-minute television production about a celebrity publicist who turns her milestone birthday into a carefully curated rebirth.

For Mandviwala, who had endured the rigors of live theater on the road, the selection for the Talent Showcase was an opportunity to enter a new environment. His experience in on-camera acting is still developing, and he said he felt “a lot of imposter syndrome” during the audition process.

“I had no expectation that this was going to go anywhere, and then I kept going a little bit further, a little bit further,” Mandviwala said.

The selection process stretched over about six weeks, starting with a self-tape before moving to an in-person audition at Disney’s New York building and, eventually, a Zoom audition. By the final round, Mandviwala thought he was still auditioning. Instead, he and the other actors were told they were there for a meet and greet, where they learned they had been selected for the program.

The experience has continued Mandviwala’s process of learning and adapting as a performer. After years of working primarily in theater, he said he now feels as though he is “in a learning mode again” as he auditions for television and film projects.

Television is a far cry from where he started at UK. When he arrived on campus, a career in acting was not part of his plan.

Mandviwala was studying premedicine, taking science courses and preparing for a future as a physician. But during his time at UK, an introductory theater course and growing involvement with the Department of Theatre and Dance gradually led him in another direction.

“I felt like I really fit in into that space in a way that I haven't really fit in anywhere else growing up,” Mandviwala said.

Theater started as something Mandviwala explored alongside his coursework. He performed in his first play as a sophomore and changed his major to theater as a junior.

By his senior year, he had completed his premed requirements and was looking more seriously at opportunities in theater.

“It was sort of a feeling that you really lean into, and it's a bit of a leap of faith,” he said.

 In 2023 Mandviwala made his debut in “Life of Pi.” When the touring production visited Cincinnati, it brought together people from his hometown, UK and other parts of his life.

“I had elementary school teachers who came to see the show, people I haven't seen in 20 years coming to see the show,” Mandviwala said. “It was like a really cool culmination of all the people that sort of shape you throughout your life, from the time you were a kid, to the time you were a teenager, to the time you were an adult.”

Mandviwala’s career is at a new level, one that looks different from the years he spent honing his craft on stage. He is now exploring television and film, learning new ways to approach his work along the way.

He also wants to explore voice acting, a field that connects with his childhood love of cartoons.

“I love, love the idea of getting to use my voice to make something that's very whimsical and larger than life,” he said.

After spending much of the past few years traveling for work, Mandviwala now lives in Brooklyn with his wife and is establishing a home there. New York has brought new auditions and opportunities, but he also wants to build a life there that extends beyond acting.

That means getting to know his neighbors, volunteering and finding ways to become part of the community around him.

“I think that's very important,” he said. “Build a life that's not just work.”

That idea also shapes the advice he gives to students considering a career in theater. For Mandviwala, aspiring actors should have something outside acting that can provide stability while maintaining confidence in their ability to succeed.

“Do not put your entire life on hold trying to pursue your dream,” Mandviwala said.

At the same time, he said performers need what he calls a “healthy sense of delusion,” the belief that they can do the work and belong in the spaces they are trying to enter.

For Mandviwala, the two ideas have to coexist. An actor needs enough stability to keep going when auditions do not work out, but enough confidence to keep putting themselves out there.

“If you can keep that afloat and keep the stress off of you in that way, you will have more capacity to do this thing,” Mandviwala said.