Manisha Koirala | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Koirala in 2024 | |
| Born | (1970-08-16)16 August 1970 (age 54)[1] Biratnagar, Nepal |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Father | Prakash Koirala |
| Relatives | SeeKoirala family |
| Awards | Full list |
Manisha Koirala (pronounced[mʌnisakoirala]; born 16 August 1970) is aNepalese actress who works inIndian films, predominantly inHindi andTamil. Born to the politically prominentKoirala family,[2] she is the daughter ofPrakash Koirala and the granddaughter ofBishweshwar Prasad Koirala. One of the most popular and highest-paid actresses of her time, she is the recipient of several accolades, including threeFilmfare Awards, oneFilmfare Awards South and oneFilmfare OTT Awards . In 2001, the Government ofNepal awarded her with theOrder of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu.
Koirala made her acting debut with the Nepali filmPheri Bhetaula (1989), and later debuted in Indian cinema with the Hindi dramaSaudagar (1991). Following a brief setback, she established herself with commercial successes in bothBollywood andKollywood films, includingBombay (1995),Agni Sakshi (1996),Indian (1996),Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997),Kachche Dhaage (1999),Mudhalvan (1999) andCompany (2002). She also received critical recognition for playing a naive girl in1942: A Love Story (1994), an ambitious wife inAkele Hum Akele Tum (1995), the daughter ofdeaf-mute parents inKhamoshi: The Musical (1996), a terrorist inDil Se.. (1998) and a mistreated woman inLajja (2001).[3]
Over the course of the next decade, she garnered praise for her performances in several unconventional and art-house films, such as the survival dramaEscape From Taliban (2003), theMalayalam psychological dramaElektra (2010), and the anthology filmI Am (2010). In 2012, Koirala took a break from acting after being diagnosed withlast stageovarian cancer and underwent an year-long treatment, making a successful recovery by mid-2014.[4] She returned with the coming-of-age dramaDear Maya (2017),[5] followed by her portrayal of actressNargis inSanju (2018). The same year Koirala featured in theNetflix productionLust Stories. She has since starred in the acclaimed period drama seriesHeeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024).
In addition to acting in films, Koirala was appointed as theGoodwill Ambassador for theUnited Nations Population Fund in 1999 forIndia and 2015 forNepal, and was involved in the relief works after theApril 2015 Nepal earthquake. She also contributed as an author to the novelHealed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life; which is an account of her struggle with ovarian cancer. Koirala is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful actresses of her times.[6][7][8][9][10][11]
Manisha Koirala was born on 16 August 1970 into the politically prominentKoirala family, inBiratnagar, Nepal. Her father,Prakash Koirala, is a politician, formerCabinet minister and a former member ofNepal’sHouse of Representatives, while her mother, Sushma Koirala, is a homemaker.
Koirala has one brother,Siddharth Koirala, who is a formerBollywood actor.[12] Several members of her family went on to become politicians; her grandfather,Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, was theprime minister of Nepal during the late 1950s to the early 1960s, as were two of her great-uncles,Girija Prasad Koirala andMatrika Prasad Koirala.
Koirala spent her early life in India, and she stayed inVaranasi at her maternal grandmother's home for some years and later inDelhi andMumbai. While at home in Varanasi, she attended theVasant Kanya Mahavidyalaya until Class X. Aspiring to become a doctor, she moved to Delhi and studied at theArmy Public School (APS) of theDhaula Kuan, New Delhi campus.[13] In an interview, she said that living on her own in Delhi helped her become "strong and independent."[citation needed] Determined to pursue a career in acting, Koirala later moved toMumbai for film roles.
During a break after her class X board exams, Koirala acted in the 1989 Nepali filmPheri Bhetaula as an experiment.[14][15] She also took on a few modeling assignments during her time in Delhi, but later shifted her focus toward acting.[1] One of these was for a wool company.[1]
In 1991, Koirala made her Hindi film debut withSubhash Ghai's directorialSaudagar, which emerged as a commercial success.[14][16] According to Sukanya Verma ofRediff.com, "[C]ritics saw sparks in Manisha, even as she was constantly referred to asMadhuri Dixit's lookalike".[17]Yalgaar (1992), did well at the box-office and was classified as a hit. However, this was trailed by a series of films that performed poorly at the box office, includingFirst Love Letter (1991),Anmol andDhanwan (both 1993), which led to Koirala being labeled "a jinx" by producers.[17]
Koirala's career prospects improved after starring inVidhu Vinod Chopra's romance film1942: A Love Story (1994), set during theIndian independence movement.[18] She played Rajjo, the daughter of afreedom fighter who falls in love with Naren (Anil Kapoor), the apolitical son of a British colonial employee.[19] Chopra dismissed Koirala as a "terrible actress" after her first screen test, but was impressed with her performance for a second audition and decided to cast her in place of Madhuri Dixit.[20] The film featured the protagonists sharing a deep kiss; it was certified U/A (Parental guidance required) by theCentral Board of Film Certification, becoming the first Indian film to receive the rating.[21] Koirala's performance received positive reviews, with critics hailing her as "a sensitive performer".[18] The film proved to be a box office flop.[22] However, it fetched Koirala her first nomination forBest Actress at the annualFilmfare Awards ceremony.[23]
In 1995, Koirala made her debut inTamil cinema with theMani Ratnam-directed political romanceBombay, starring alongsideArvind Swami.[24][25] She took up the role on the insistence of her friendAshok Mehta, at a time when other contemporaries urged her to not act in non Hindi film industries.[24] It received critical acclaim,[26] with American criticJames Berardinelli writing, "Bombay recalls how forceful a motion picture can be. It also reminds us of the maxim that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it".[27] For playing a Muslim who marries a Hindu journalist against the backdrop of theBombay riots in the eponymous film. At the43rd Filmfare Awards South, she received her first Award in theBest Actress – Tamil category.[28] Koirala's performances in1942: A Love Story andBombay proved to be milestones in her career, and established her in the film industry.[17][29] The same year, she featured in the musical romanceAkele Hum Akele Tum oppositeAamir Khan a remake of 1979 American filmKramer vs. Kramer starringDustin Hoffman andMeryl Streep, and received her second nomination in the Best Actress category at the Filmfare Awards.[23]
The following year, she played a battered wife on the run from her mentally-ill husband in the dramaAgni Sakshi, a remake of theJulia Roberts-starrerSleeping with the Enemy (1991), which begot her positive reviews for her performance.[30] The film was released in close succession with two other remakes of the same film[31][32][15] –Yaraana (1995) andDaraar (1996) and was a commercial success, emerging as the second highest-grossing film of the year in India.[33] Koirala next featured oppositeSalman Khan in the comedyMajhdhaar the same year, which was both a critical and commercial failure.[34][35] She then played a starring role inS. Shankar'sIndian (1996), which marked her second Tamil film. It was also dubbed and released in Hindi under the titleHindustani.[36] FeaturingKamal Haasan in dual roles alongside Koirala,Urmila Matondkar andSukanya, it was themost expensive Indian film at that time, with a budget of₹150 million.[37][38][39] BothIndian andHindustani were commercial successes.[40][41][42]
In her last release of 1996, she acted in the musical dramaKhamoshi: The Musical, which markedSanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut.[43] Koirala played Annie, a caring daughter to herdeaf-mute parents Joseph and Flavy, portrayed by Nana Patekar andSeema Biswas respectively; Salman Khan played Raj, her love interest.[44] In preparation for her role, Koirala learned theIndian Sign Language.[45] A critic fromChannel 4 wrote, "Koirala in particular is in her element and demonstrates the full range of her acting ability, rather than playing against it as she has had to do in more traditional films".[46] Despite receiving critical acclaim,Khamoshi: The Musical was a flop.[47]Filmfare included her performance among a list of "80 Iconic Performances" of Indian cinema in 2011.[48] In a box office roundup of the year,The Indian Express felt Koirala put up an "impressive show" with her successes.[41] Her performance inKhamoshi earned her a second Filmfare Award for Best Performance and a nomination for Best Actress.[23] She also received her only win forBest Actress at theScreen Awards.[49]
In 1997, she played the leading role alongsideKajol andBobby Deol in the thrillerGupt: The Hidden Truth, which was one of the biggest hits that year[50] but her other films in the year were unsuccessful. The next year, she went on to collaborate once again with the acclaimed directorMani Ratnam, and starred in his filmDil Se.. (1998) oppositeShah Rukh Khan. Her role received similarly good reviews and earned her several award nominations including theFilmfare Best Actress Award nomination. The film proved to be a hit overseas. The film became the first Indian film to enter the top 10 in the United Kingdom box office charts.[51] Even months after its release in September 1998, the film was still screened on five screens, five times per day with an average of 3,000 spectators across all screens in the Cineworld complex inFeltham, West London.[52] Koirala later played the leading role opposite to Govinda in the movieMaharaja.[53]
In 1999, she starred in the successfulKachche Dhaage, which was followed by six more releases, the most notable of them beingIndra Kumar's dramaMann, remake of 1957 Hollywood classicAn Affair to Remember, which entered into the top five highest-grossing films of the year.[54] Her performance in the film won her favourable reviews.Film critic M. Ali Ikram wrote about her performance: "If there is a respite for Manisha's innumerable fans of late, this flick is it. We may not care about hits and flops, but it is painful to watch this acting virtuoso in the innumerable side roles she has been seen in of late. Indra Kumar's decision to cast Manisha here is a case of perfect casting, and she never lets him or the audience down. This lady is truly theMeena Kumari of her generation. It is great fun watching Manisha andAamir Khan's perfect chemistry opposite one another. The film's climax has both stars permanently molding a spot for themselves in Bollywood history, and it will have you shedding tears by the bucketful."[55] It was a successful feature at the box office. While filmingLaawaris (1999), Koirala began to get tired of her busy schedule and felt "the pressure getting to [her]"; she turned to alcohol for solace and developed anger issues.[56] She also reunited withS.Shankar forMudhalvan (1999) which went on to become one of the highest grossers of Tamil Nadu that year.
In 2000, Koirala starred in four films including action dramasBaaghi andChampion, but none of the films became major successes. The same year, she debuted on television and hosted the realitygame show titledSawaal Dus Crore Ka onZee TV alongsideAnupam Kher. Both anchors were later replaced due to poor performance of the show.[57] Koirala was extremely hurt and upset for being made the scapegoat and blamed the poor production quality on the sets.[58]
In 2001, she starred in the dramaGrahan oppositeJackie Shroff. Her portrayal of a rape victim in the film who seeks justice was appreciated, but the film, which was a much-delayed project, was a major commercial failure. After starring in moderately successfulChhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller she next played the protagonist inRajkumar Santoshi's dramaLajja, along with an ensemble cast that includedRekha,Anil Kapoor andMadhuri Dixit. The film received a positive reception from critics, and so did Koirala's performance. Her last release of the year wasMoksha, oppositeArjun Rampal, which was a failure at the box office.[citation needed][59]
In 2002, she starred oppositeAjay Devgan inRam Gopal Verma'sCompany. The film was a critical success and she won her thirdFilmfare Critics' Best Actress Award. In that same year, she appeared inEk Chotisi Love Story. The film, when released, generated tremendous response at the box office, becoming one of the few successes of the year.[60] The movie's release was stayed as she accused the director of the film,Shashilal Nair, of using her body double to shoot some love scenes in the film, and portraying her in bad light by shooting positions using another actress in her place, without her approval.[61] A court finally decided to stay the release of the film.[62]
Koirala then ventured into strong woman-oriented films in 2003, such asEscape From Taliban, which won her theBFJA Award for Best Actress. She then played the protagonist inMarket, a film portraying the whole life story of a young prostitute. The film did decently at the box office and was considered 'average.'
After receiving a diploma in filmmaking in New York, she produced the small-budget caper-comedyPaisa Vasool (2004). In 2005, she appeared in various unsuccessful films such as historical epic dramaTaj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story, the thrillerTum - A Dangerous Obsession, and the horror filmAnjaane – The Unknown and the black comedyMumbai Express. Her only releases in 2006 and 2007 wereDarwaaza Bandh Rakho andAnwar respectively, where she played supporting roles, working with her brother Siddharth in the latter.
In 2008, Koirala starred oppositeIrrfan Khan in the family dramaTulsi, in her first leading role sinceMumbai Express (2005). Before its release, her role was described by the media as a "shocking comeback" but the film suffered from poor marketing.[63] Although Koirala's performance as Tulsi, a young homemaker diagnosed with leukemia, was well received.Taran Adarsh fromIndiaFM wrote: "Manisha Koirala sinks her teeth in this role and delivers a fine performance."[64] She next starred inSirf (2008) which was a critical and box office failure.[65] Her firstBengali filmKhela, directed byRituparno Ghosh, released the same year, along with the long delayedHindi filmMehbooba; both films released on the same day.[66]
In 2009, Koirala starred inDeepti Naval's directorial debutDo Paise Ki Dhoop, Char Aane Ki Barish which premiered at the market section of the2009 Cannes Film Festival to a positive response.[67] Later that year, she acted in Partho Ghosh'sEk Second... Jo Zindagi Badal De?.
In 2010, Koirala made her foray intoMalayalam cinema withShyamaprasad'sElektra, a psycho-sensual drama based onSophocles's ancient Greek tragic playElectra. She plays the antagonist in the film, which revolves around the concept of theElectra complex, which is a daughter'spsychosexual competition with her mother for her father's affection.[68] The film premiered at theInternational Film Festival of India, where it was well received.[69] She also acted in her nativeNepali-language film,Dharmaa, after a gap of 22 years since her first film.[70] She was next seen in directorOnir's critically acclaimedanthology filmI Am, sharing the screen withJuhi Chawla. Noted film criticTaran Adarsh commented: "It's a delight to watch Juhi and Manisha, after a hiatus. Both deliver striking performances – even getting the language right."[71][72]
In 2011, Koirala appeared inMappillai, marking her comeback to Tamil cinema after five years. A remake of the 1989 film of the same name, the film saw her reprising the role originally played bySrividya. Her performance earned her a nomination at theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil and the film was declared a hit.
In 2012, she collaborated with directorRam Gopal Verma for his 3D horror filmBhoot Returns, a sequel to the 2003 hitBhoot.[73] It was deemed to be yet another comeback for Koirala, however she refused to call it a comeback because she had not been away from films for a long time.[74] Despite the good initial response to its promos and trailers, the film turned out to be a critical and commercial failure.[75]
Three years later, in 2015, her much delayed psychological thrillerChehere: A Modern Day Classic released[76][77] but went unnoticed. A year later, she silently returned with the Kannada-Tamil mystery filmGame (2016) where she portrayed the main female lead.
In 2017, Koirala made another Bollywood comeback attempt with the dramaDear Maya. Directed by Sunaina Bhatnagar and co-starring Madiha Imam, her role was of a middle-aged lonely woman who embarks on a journey to find love when she receives love letters. The film received mixed reviews from critics with praise directed to Koirala's performance.[5] Sweta Kaushal ofHindustan Times said: "Manisha Koirala shines like a diamond in a coal mine."[78] Suhani Singh fromIndia Today noted that she is the "star in this mawkish coming-of-age story", while Stutee Ghosh ofThe Quint wrote that "Manisha Koirala's grace makes it worth a watch."[79][80]
In 2018, Koirala featured in one of the segments directed byDibakar Banerjee in theNetflix anthologyLust Stories, where she played a middle-aged housewife, having an extra-marital affair with her husband's best friend. The film was nominated for International Emmy Award for Best TV Movie or Miniseries, and Koirala's performance was also appreciated. This was followed by an appearance inRajkumar Hirani's biographySanju, based on the life of actorSanjay Dutt; Koirala portrayed the role of actressNargis, Dutt's mother. The film emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year.
In 2019, Koirala featured inPrasthanam Hindi remake of the political thriller withthe same title, in which she played Sanjay Dutt's wife. Her much delayed filmDo Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish also released on Netflix this year. It was followed by the Netflix originalMaska in 2020, directed by Neeraj Udhwani.
In 2021, she appeared in AR Rahman's romantic musical99 Songs. She then starred in an American comedy filmIndia Sweets and Spices, directed by Geeta Malik. The film is based on Geeta Malik's own script “Dinner With Friends” that won the 2016 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in screen-writing.[81] In 2023, she appeared in the action-dramaShehzada. Her performance was appreciated, although the film was a commercial failure.[82]
In 2024, Koirala played the chief courtesan Mallikajaan inSanjay Leela Bhansali's seriesHeeramandi.[83] Nandini Ramnath ofScroll.in noted, "Manisha Koirala, sporting a deep voice and her nastiest manner, gives a near-parodic role her best shot. But she is hard-pressed to portray Mallikajaan’s campy tendencies."[84] She won a Filmfare OTT award for Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama for the role.[85]
Koirala is actively involved in social work, specifically working with organisations to promotewomen's rights, prevention ofviolence against women, and also to prevent thehuman trafficking ofNepali girls for prostitution.[86] In September 1999, she was appointed as aUNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for India.[86] Koirala has advocated the need for an officialEarth Anthem for the planet supporting the efforts of Indian poet-diplomatAbhay K in this direction.[87]
In May 2013, after her cancer treatment, Koirala said she intends to use her celebrity status and personal story to inspire others who are battling the dreaded disease. "All I want to do from now onwards is to be useful to people who could need [a] little advice," she said in her first interview since undergoing cancer treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre.[88] She has become amotivational speaker after her battle with cancer, and gives talks on various topics at schools, hospitals and organisations.[89][90][91]
She was appointed as aUNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal in 2015 and was involved in the relief works after theNepal earthquake 2015.[92][93]
She gave speeches in 2016 on "Transformation" atMercedes-Benz India inPune, and on "Importance of Being Mindful Living" atCipla inGoa. She was scheduled to speakon "Health is Our Responsibility" at Sneh Foundation in February 2017; on "Cancer is Conquerable" atApollo Hospitals inHyderabad; and on "My Life's Lesson" at Shiv Nadar Foundation inChennai; on "Why Celebrities Need Coaching" inDelhi; on "Woman Empowerment" at National Women's Parliament inVijayawada; and on "Gifts of Cancer" at TEDxJaipur.
In 2017, she was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador byNepal’sMinistry of Urban Development for Bagmati Cleanup Mega Campaign aimed at cleaning theBagmati River.[94] She also contributed as a co-writer to a book: Healed, the story of her battle against ovarian cancer.[95]
In 2020, she launched "Manisha Koirala Cancer Education Fund" with the support of Global College International, Kathmandu to give educational scholarships to children of cancer victim or survivors with poor financial background.[96][97][98][99] Her social activism and achievements in movies has made her one of the most famousNepalis in the world.[100][101] In the2022 Nepalese general election, she supported the pro-monarchyRashtriya Prajatantra Party.[102]
During the production ofAakhrii Saakshi (1996), Koirala allegedly began dating her co-starNana Patekar; Patekar confirmed their relationship and eventual breakup in 2003.[103] Physical abuse on his part may have been a factor for their separation.[104]
In 2004, Koirala moved toNew York City and earned a diploma in filmmaking fromNew York University. While living in New York, she became a member of an independent documentary filmmakers' society.[86][105][106]
On 19 June 2010, Koirala married Samrat Dahal, a Nepali businessman, in a traditional ceremony held inKathmandu.[107] The couple spent their honeymoon inFinland.[108] They met through the online social networking websiteFacebook.[109] The couple divorced in 2012.[110]
On 29 November 2012, media news reported that Koirala had been diagnosed withovarian cancer.[111][112] She had no clue about the disease until she felt very weak, and went to a hospital inKathmandu with her brother. She flew to India and was admitted toJaslok Hospital inMumbai.[113] She then flew to the US for treatment, however the exact ailment was not disclosed.[114] On 10 December, she underwent surgery. The following day it was reported that the surgery had been successful.[115][116] She had to undergo chemotherapy and spent months at the hospital inNew York.
After fighting cancer and winning the battle, she is actively involved in spreading awareness about the disease.[117][118]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Filmfare Awards | Best Female Debut | Saudagar | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| 1995 | Best Actress | 1942: A Love Story | Nominated | [119] | |
| 1996 | Akele Hum Akele Tum | Nominated | [119] | ||
| Best Actress (Critics) | Bombay | Won | [120] | ||
| Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress - Tamil | Won | [119] | ||
| Cinema Express Awards | Best Actress (Special Award) | Won | [121] | ||
| 1997 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actress (Critics) | Khamoshi: The Musical | Won | [122] |
| Best Actress | Nominated | [122] | |||
| Screen Awards | Best Actress | Won | [119] | ||
| 1999 | Screen Awards | Best Actress | Dil Se.. | Nominated | [119] |
| Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [119] | ||
| 2003 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actress (Critics)[a] | Company | Won | [123] |
| 2004 | BFJA awards | Best Actress | Escape From Taliban | Won | [124] |
| 2012 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actress | Mappillai | Nominated | [125] |
| 2024 | Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Actress (Drama Series) | Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar | Won | [126] |
The first Bollywood film to enter the UK top 10,Dil Se / Uyire was nevertheless an average in India. Such factors attest to the crucial role of theNRI audience in the commercial fate of Bollywood produce.
