Manisha Koirala who last gave a hit almost a decade ago with Bhoot Returns is hoping for a solid comeback with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. The actress will be playing the character of Mallikajaan in this period drama which is set to stream from May 1 on Netflix. Manisha while promoting the same looked back at her career and shared that one decision she regrets.
Talking about having silly insecurities, Manisha Koirala admitted that she rejected the iconic Yash Chopra’s Dil Toh Pagal Hai because she was pitted against Madhuri Dixit.
Why did Manisha Koirala reject Dil Toh Pagal Hai?
Unknown to many, the character of Nisha who was eventually played by Karisma Kapoor was initially offered to several other actresses including Urmila Matondkar, Kajol, Raveena Tandon, Juhi Chawla, and Manisha Koirala. Unfortunately, Manisha was one of those who regretted the decision to back out.
Manisha Koirala revealed to India Today, “One of the regrets that I have in my career is that I didn’t do Yash Chopra’s film. I was pitted against Madhuri ji [Dixit], and I got scared. I backed out of that project.”
Manisha confronted that every actor of her time wanted to work with the ace filmmaker at least once because of how he beautifully portrayed women on-screen. She added, “I went to Yash Ji’s office and told him, ‘Sir, it is my dream to be your heroine, solo. You are pitting me against Madhuri ji’. Somehow [because of] better judgment of mine, I think I missed out.”
How did Manisha Koirala make up for her rift with Madhuri Dixit?
When filmmaker Raj Santoshi offered Madhuri Dixit-led Lajja to Manisha in 2000, the actress immediately signed it because she didn’t want to repeat the same mistake. She shared, “I think when you have a strong maker, and when you are confident in your own skin, the security comes. I realized I didn’t want to make that mistake again because of my silly insecurities. I am so glad I did it. I am so proud of Lajja.”
In Heeramandi, Manisha will star alongside actresses Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chaddha, Sonakshi Sinha, and Sharmin Segal.
