Manisha Koirala Says 'Being Away From Film Industry Helped Her Look At Life Differently'

Manisha Koirala is gearing up for the release of her upcoming magnum opus web show Heeramandi. Sanjay Leela Bhansali starrer also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha and others. During the trailer launch of the web series, Koirala revealed that being away from the film industry helped her to look at life differently.

Moving away from the spotlight can be a great spiritual experience: Manisha Koirala

Manisha Koirala shared that staying away from the industry affected her as a person as it has made her a different person. The actress, who was last seen in Shehzada in 2023, said, “You know definitely when I was younger I was really different but with years and many experiences that you have had you evolve and hope to evolve. So, yeah, being away from the industry also has helped me to look at life differently because as an actor we see ourselves in a different way, we see the world in a different way because the spotlight is always on us.”

She added that moving away from the spotlight can be a “great spiritual experience.” However, when you are no longer at the centre of attention and are at the periphery of the attention, that is a great spiritual experience and a great awareness happens. So it was an enriching experience for Koirala both being away and in front of the camera. "Both were important for me,” she added.

Manisha Koirala on playing Mallikajaan in Heeramandi

On playing Mallikajaan, the veteran actress said that the experience was really different. "I can only say that it was possible because of a genius behind the camera, who directs so minutely and so much in detail that we as actors look so good on screen. We don’t know what we have done. He just takes that out from us," she added.

When asked about her experience working with Bhansali again, Manisha said that she waited 28 years for SLB to call her. "It has been a pleasure. It was a pleasure back then and it is a pleasure and is an honour to be working with that genius,” she concluded.

Koirala and Bhansali have reunited after over two decades. They had first worked together in the 1996 film Khamoshi: The Musical.

With IANS Inputs