The life of Manisha Koirala is a story of unprecedented highs and frustrating lows. On one side is a dream debut and immense critical and commercial success and on the other side are reports of alcohol abuse, an unfulfilling personal life and a long, painful battle with deadly cancer. But against all odds, Manisha fights back and emerges from the ashes like a pheonix.
Early Life and Career
Manisha Koirala was born on August 16, 1970, in Biratnagar, Nepal, into the politically influential Koirala family as the granddaughter of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister of Nepal. Her father, Prakash Koirala, is a politician and former Cabinet minister, while her mother, Sushma Koirala, is a homemaker.
Koirala’s cinematic journey began with the Nepali film “Pheri Bhetaula” in 1989. But it was Subhash Ghai‘s “Saudagar” opposite Vivek Mushran in 1991 that marked her entry into Hindi films. The film had the heavy weights like Dilip Kumar and Raaj kumar, still she gets praise for her screen presence. Her portrayal of Radha in the movie garnered attention and set the stage for a successful career. Her song “Ilu Ilu,” became so popular that she gets a nickname “Ilu Ilu Girl.” She followed the success with films like First Love Letter (1991), Yalgaar (1992), Anmol (1993), Dhanwan (1993), and Milan (1994).
Manisha Koirala The Next Big Thing
In 1994, she starred in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s period epic “1942: A Love Story” with Anil Kapoor. The film was set during the Indian independence movement. In the film, she played the daughter of freedom fighter Rajjo, who falls in love with the son of a British sympathiser played by Anil Kapoor. Manisha get the nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance, her first.
Over the years, Manisha has delivered memorable performances in a variety of roles across different film industries, including Hindi and Tamil cinema.
Her work in the critically acclaimed film “Bombay (1995)” earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and she continued to captivate audiences with her performances in “Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995),” “Agni Sakshi (1996),” “Indian (1996),” “Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997),” “Yugpurush (1998),” and “Mann (1999).” Koirala’s ability to portray complex characters with depth and nuance was further evident in films like “‘Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)” and “Dil Se.. (1998).”
The Performer
Some of her other notable films include Dushmani: A Violent Love Story (1995), Kachche Dhaage (1999), Grahan (2001), Abhay (2001), Lajja (2001), Company (2002), Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002), Ek Chotisi Love Story (2002) and many more.
From the early 2000s, Manisha was struggling at both the personal and professional front. In 2001, Manisha gets engaged to Christin Conroy, an Australian ambassador to Nepal. The engagement was called off for undisclosed reasons.
It was the time, her films were not performing at the box office. She was also not getting challenging roles of her choice. In 2004, she earned a diploma in filmmaking from New York University. The same year she turned producer with “Paisa Vasool (2004),” starring herself with Sushmita Sen.
In this period, she starred in a few low-budget films, art-house projects, and regional films. Her performances gets notice, but the box office success remained elusive. Despite facing setbacks, Manisha’s dedication to her craft never wavered. She received praise for her roles in Manish jha’s “Anwar (2007),” and K. Ajay Kumar’s “Tulsi (2008)” opposite Irrfan Khan, Deepti Naval’s “Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish (2009), the Malyalam film “Elektra (2010),” Suraj’s Tamil film “Mappillai,” and Onir’s “I Am (2011).”
Personal Life and Comeback
Koirala married Samrat Dahal, a Nepali businessman, in 2010, but the couple separated in 2012. It was also the time she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which led her to take a hiatus from acting and go to the US for treatment.
After her recovery from cancer, she made a triumphant return with “Dear Maya” in 2017, which was a heartfelt story of lonely Maya, whose life changed when two teenage girls started to send her letters pretending to be a long-lost lover, as a prank. Since then she starred in selected films like Lust Stories (1918), Sanju (1918), Prassthanam (1919), Maska (1920), 99 Songs (1921), and India Sweets and Spices (1921). In 2024, she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama series “Heeramandi.”.
Advocay and Philanthropy
Beyond her acting career, Manisha Koirala has been a vocal advocate for various social causes. She actively worked with various organisations to promote women’s rights, prevent violence against women, and combat the human trafficking of Nepali girls for prostitution. In 2020, she launched the “Manisha Koirala Cancer Education Fund” with the support of Global College International in Kathmandu. This initiative provides educational scholarships to children of cancer victims or survivors from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. She is also an author, having penned “Healed,” where she shares her experiences and insights, offering hope and inspiration to many.
She served as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund in 1999 for India and in 2015 for Nepal. Her efforts in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake showcased her commitment to humanitarian work
Manisha Koirala on IMDB
