Manisha Koirala Sees Heeramandi as a Potential Career Turning Point

According to Manisha Koirala, success means having the "luxury to say no," a state she claims

to have achieved through her work in movies such as 1942: A Love Story, Bombay, and

Company, all of which marked turning points in her career. As it has been almost 20 years since

those breakthroughs, Koirala expressed optimism that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's forthcoming

series Heeramandi could be another significant milestone in her career.

In an interview with PTI, the actor expressed her definition of success as the ability to have the

freedom to do what she wants, whenever she wants. She stated that she feels successful today

because she has the luxury of being able to say no. Despite the challenges, her unwavering

passion for acting and cinema motivates her to keep going in her chosen profession.

Manisha Koirala revealed that during the 1990s, success was measured by having a

jam-packed schedule.

At the beginning of my career, the goal was to fill up my schedule as much as possible. I was

advised that if actors had three years' worth of commitments lined up, it was a sign that they

were in high demand and successful. So that's what I focused on," Manisha Koirala said.

However, after working in the industry for over three decades, her priorities have evolved.

Manisha Koirala further stated that nowadays she would rather have plenty of leisure time

where she can pursue her interests, such as traveling, gardening, trekking, writing a book,

binge-watching, and spending time with her family. She would prefer these activities over

working on mediocre projects. The 52-year-old actor is set to reunite with her Khamoshi: The

Musical director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, for his debut digital series, Heeramandi, which will be

released on Netflix.

Saudagar, 1942: A Love Story, Bombay, and, after a considerable hiatus, Company have been

the turning points in my career," Manisha Koirala stated. She is optimistic that Sanjay Leela

Bhansali's upcoming digital series, Heeramandi, could be another crucial milestone in her

career. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed," she added.

Manisha Koirala praised Sanjay Leela Bhansali, referring to him as a "maestro," and expressed

her delight in reuniting with the filmmaker after more than 25 years. "Sanjay is someone with

whom I had the pleasure of working on Khamoshi, and even though there was a significant gap

between projects, we remained in contact. Our friendship runs deep and extends beyond work. I

have immense respect for him as a filmmaker, as he has demonstrated consistent improvement

with every movie he has made. Nobody can match his work ethic," the actor said

The highly-anticipated period drama Heeramandi delves into the cultural intricacies of a

magnificent district through the accounts of courtesans and their clients, set against the

backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle during the 1940s. The cast of the show includes

Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh, among

others.

Manisha Koirala expressed her excitement when Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director of

Gangubai Kathiawadi, offered her the role in Heeramandi. "He is a down-to-earth person, very

grounded, and it is a joy to work with him," the actor stated. She added that Bhansali is one of

the few directors whose female-centric films have become major box office successes. "In a

male-dominated society where films are also made that way, we have come to terms with it. We

all strive to do our best within the limited opportunities," she said

Manisha Koirala spoke about the prevalence of male domination in the film industry and how

female actors have accepted a secondary position to male actors. "Being a female actor, we

have always been okay with being in second place to male actors. It is a male-dominated

industry," she said. However, she praised Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his films where female

characters take center stage and achieve enormous success at the box office. "There are very

few filmmakers like Sanjay who create films with female protagonists and they are mega-hits at

the box office," Koirala added.

Manisha Koirala revealed her desire to create a new fan base and reconnect with her admirers.

Despite starring in recent successful films like Lust Stories, Sanju, and Shehzada, Koirala wants

to expand her reach and connect with a broader audience. "I am keen to develop a new fan

base, and I am looking forward to reconnecting with my admirers," she said.

Manisha Koirala expressed her eagerness to win over newer audiences while also cherishing

the memory of her long-time fans. "I am extremely keen to have the love and affection of newer

audiences as well as to keep the memory alive of my fans, who have seen my past work of 20

or 30 years. They are my inspiration to do better work," the actor said.

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