Manisha Koirala ruled our hearts with her ethereal beauty and gravitas laced acting chops in the 1990s. With time, she became very selective in her choice of projects and now she is back with yet another one that seems extremely promising. The actress plays a courtesan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s OTT debut Heeramandi. Its release date is yet to be announced but there is a huge buzz among fans about it. The Free Press Journal caught up with Manisha for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
You have a solid filmography over the last so many decades. How far do you think filmmaking has changed?
Filmmaking has always evolved with every decade. It has become more clearer and visible. Unlike the other times, the good part is that cinema is far paced, technically more advanced, with bigger budgets, perfect looks and sets. There is far more preciseness. Earlier, however, there was poetry in the songs that we are missing out now. For the younger generation, everything is available on the phone.
Do you feel that women in the industry have finally gotten their dues?
During the golden era, women had very important roles. There was a time when females had to dance and look pretty, that’s even there today in mainstream commercial films. For a female actor to run a film on her own shoulders, we need more female directors and writers. There will be more equality then.
Do you try to make the right balance between commercial and performance driven cinema with projects like Dear Maya, Shehzada and now Heeramandi?
That has been my drive since the very beginning. I always wanted to reach out to the maximum amount of people through my balanced work. If I am doing a film like Dear Maya, I am also doing a Shehzada. I have done an art house cinema which is more content-driven in Bengali and Malayalam too.
Is SLB a taskmaster on the sets? What were your challenges while playing a courtesan in his project?
SLB is a perfectionist. He has a vision to get out quality work. When he is on the sets, everyone is driven by that. We all are challenged but in a good way. He inspires us to do our best. He has given such a great role to perform. You see his artistes one notch higher in his projects because it’s his energy.
What kind of roles do you wish to explore now?
After doing Heeramandi, I would want to feel that level of satisfaction in the projects ahead. God willing. It’s worth working, else I don’t want to do anything less. I’d rather do a project that gives me some sort of joy.
If time rewinds, which film of yours do you wish to do again as per today’s sensibilities or to be a part of it if it’s being remade?
The films I had loved working, I would leave them as it is. It is difficult to recreate that same energy and magic which is why so many remakes have fallen apart. Anything that has been perfected, I don’t want to touch that. With time, everything moves on, even the human mind.
