Manisha Koirala, who recently made a powerful return to the screen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, opened up about her journey of highs and lows in Bollywood, including a time when she felt bored and wanted to quit acting altogether.
Known as one of Bollywood’s top leading ladies, Manisha’s career took a pause when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. She made a comeback in 2015 with Chehere, but she recently revealed that, even before her health battle, she felt drained from the demanding Bollywood grind.
In an interview with ANI, Manisha recalled discussing her disinterest with veteran actress Dimple Kapadia. “I remember having this conversation with Dimple ji. We were shooting for a film. I told her, ‘I am bored of acting’. And she said, ‘You better enjoy it because this is not going to last forever.’ And such a great advice she gave me. But, at that point in time, I was like, ‘Yeh kya keh rahi hai? (What is she even saying?) Can’t she understand I am bored?’ My inner conversation was different.”
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Years later, Manisha now sees Dimple’s advice in a new light. Reflecting on her exhaustion, she explained, “There was so much of work that I was doing. There were so many films that I was doing… every morning I would get up and sit for two-three hours for makeup, work in three different shifts for three different films. We were working for at least 15 hours a day. There were no offs on Sundays. The concept of six days working didn’t exist back then. You were expected to work 360 days in a year. No holiday or break for years and I guess that pushed me and I was bored of that.”
The relentless schedule ultimately took its toll on her. “I would come back home very tired, and I started losing interest slowly. That’s what happened to me,” Manisha revealed.
Manisha’s comeback with Heeramandi marks a new chapter in her career, with fans and critics alike celebrating her return to the spotlight.