When Manisha Koirala Was Called A ‘Very Bad’ Actor By Vidhu Vinod Chopra

One of Tinseltown's most gifted actresses, Manisha Koirala has left an impressive impression on fans. Even though her extensive filmography has won her millions of admirers throughout the years, she was termed a bad actress by Vidhu Vinod Chopra at the start of her career. Manisha recalled the director asked her to take a step back and gave her 24 hours to work on her acting skills.

Manisha Koirala remembers working with Vidhu Vinod Chopra

In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Manisha reflected on the early days of her career. The actress said, “There was an incident during 1942: A Love Story. During my first reading of the scene, I was horrible, and Vidhu Vinod Chopra clearly told me, 'You are very bad.' So, I requested him to give me 24 hours. If, even then, you don't find me good, I'll accept it."

Moving ahead in the discussion, Manisha said that she became resolved to disprove the filmmaker's harsh assessment of her abilities and skills after hearing it. Even though she wasn't sure how to distinguish between good and bad acting, she went home and practised the lines a lot to get better.

Manisha stated, “I went home. I didn't know what was good acting or bad acting; this was my third or fourth film. I had only 3-4 sheets in my hand, and I read them countless times. I went back, did the screen test again, and, of course, I was accepted."

What’s next for Manisha Koirala? 

Manisha will soon be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut OTT show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. It is set amid multiple power struggles in Heeramandi, Lahore (now part of Pakistan), and more generally in undivided, pre-independence India, where anti-colonial freedom movements were emerging.