1. Manisha Koirala made her acting debut with the Nepali film Pheri Bhetaula, and later debuted in Indian cinema with the Hindi drama Saudagar.
57 Facts About Manisha Koirala
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Manisha Koirala received critical recognition for playing a naive girl in 1942: A Love Story, an ambitious wife in Akele Hum Akele Tum, the daughter of deaf-mute parents in Khamoshi: The Musical, a terrorist in Dil Se.
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In 2012, Manisha Koirala took a break from acting after being diagnosed with last stage ovarian cancer and underwent an year-long treatment, making a successful recovery by mid-2014.
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Manisha Koirala has since starred in the acclaimed period drama series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
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Manisha Koirala contributed as an author to the novel Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life; which is an account of her struggle with ovarian cancer.
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Manisha Koirala is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful actresses of her times.
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Manisha Koirala was born on 16 August 1970 into the politically prominent Koirala family, in Biratnagar, Nepal.
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Manisha Koirala's father, Prakash Koirala, is a politician, former Cabinet minister and a former member of Nepal's House of Representatives, while her mother, Sushma Koirala, is a homemaker.
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Manisha Koirala has one brother, Siddharth Manisha Koirala, who is a former Bollywood actor.
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Manisha Koirala spent her early life in India, and she stayed in Varanasi at her maternal grandmother's home for some years and later in Delhi and Mumbai.
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Manisha Koirala took on a few modeling assignments during her time in Delhi, but later shifted her focus toward acting.
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In 1991, Manisha Koirala made her Hindi film debut with Subhash Ghai's directorial Saudagar, which emerged as a commercial success.
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However, this was trailed by a series of films that performed poorly at the box office, including First Love Letter, Anmol and Dhanwan, which led to Manisha Koirala being labeled "a jinx" by producers.
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Manisha Koirala played Rajjo, the daughter of a freedom fighter who falls in love with Naren, the apolitical son of a British colonial employee.
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Manisha Koirala's performance received positive reviews, with critics hailing her as "a sensitive performer".
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In 1995, Manisha Koirala made her debut in Tamil cinema with the Mani Ratnam-directed political romance Bombay, starring alongside Arvind Swami.
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Manisha Koirala took up the role on the insistence of her friend Ashok Mehta, at a time when other contemporaries urged her to not act in non Hindi film industries.
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Manisha Koirala next featured opposite Salman Khan in the comedy Majhdhaar the same year, which was both a critical and commercial failure.
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Manisha Koirala then played a starring role in S Shankar's Indian, which marked her second Tamil film.
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Manisha Koirala played Annie, a caring daughter to her deaf-mute parents Joseph and Flavy, portrayed by Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas respectively; Salman Khan played Raj, her love interest.
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In preparation for her role, Manisha Koirala learned the Indian Sign Language.
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Manisha Koirala received her only win for Best Actress at the Screen Awards.
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Manisha Koirala's role received similarly good reviews and earned her several award nominations including the Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination.
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Manisha Koirala later played the leading role opposite to Govinda in the movie Maharaja.
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Indra Kumar's decision to cast Manisha Koirala here is a case of perfect casting, and she never lets him or the audience down.
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In 2000, Manisha Koirala starred in four films including action dramas Baaghi and Champion, but none of the films became major successes.
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Manisha Koirala then ventured into strong woman-oriented films in 2003, such as Escape From Taliban, which won her the BFJA Award for Best Actress.
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Manisha Koirala then played the protagonist in Market, a film portraying the whole life story of a young prostitute.
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In 2008, Manisha Koirala starred opposite Irrfan Khan in the family drama Tulsi, in her first leading role since Mumbai Express.
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In 2009, Manisha Koirala starred in Deepti Naval's directorial debut Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Char Aane Ki Barish which premiered at the market section of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival to a positive response.
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In 2010, Manisha Koirala made her foray into Malayalam cinema with Shyamaprasad's Elektra, a psycho-sensual drama based on Sophocles's ancient Greek tragic play Electra.
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Manisha Koirala plays the antagonist in the film, which revolves around the concept of the Electra complex, which is a daughter's psychosexual competition with her mother for her father's affection.
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Manisha Koirala acted in her native Nepali-language film, Dharmaa, after a gap of 22 years since her first film.
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Manisha Koirala was next seen in director Onir's critically acclaimed anthology film I Am, sharing the screen with Juhi Chawla.
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In 2011, Manisha Koirala appeared in Mappillai, marking her comeback to Tamil cinema after five years.
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In 2017, Manisha Koirala made another Bollywood comeback attempt with the drama Dear Maya.
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In 2018, Manisha Koirala featured in one of the segments directed by Dibakar Banerjee in the Netflix anthology Lust Stories, where she played a middle-aged housewife, having an extra-marital affair with her husband's best friend.
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The film was nominated for International Emmy Award for Best TV Movie or Miniseries, and Manisha Koirala's performance was appreciated.
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In 2019, Manisha Koirala featured in Prasthanam Hindi remake of the political thriller with the same title, in which she played Sanjay Dutt's wife.
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Manisha Koirala's much delayed film Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish released on Netflix this year.
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Manisha Koirala then starred in an American comedy film India Sweets and Spices, directed by Geeta Malik.
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Manisha Koirala's performance was appreciated, although the film was a commercial failure.
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In 2024, Manisha Koirala played the chief courtesan Mallikajaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's series Heeramandi.
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Manisha Koirala is actively involved in social work, specifically working with organisations to promote women's rights, prevention of violence against women, and to prevent the human trafficking of Nepali girls for prostitution.
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Manisha Koirala has advocated the need for an official Earth Anthem for the planet supporting the efforts of Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K in this direction.
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In May 2013, after her cancer treatment, Manisha Koirala said she intends to use her celebrity status and personal story to inspire others who are battling the dreaded disease.
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Manisha Koirala has become a motivational speaker after her battle with cancer, and gives talks on various topics at schools, hospitals and organisations.
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Manisha Koirala was appointed as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal in 2015 and was involved in the relief works after the Nepal earthquake 2015.
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Manisha Koirala gave speeches in 2016 on "Transformation" at Mercedes-Benz India in Pune, and on "Importance of Being Mindful Living" at Cipla in Goa.
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Manisha Koirala contributed as a co-writer to a book: Healed, the story of her battle against ovarian cancer.
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In 2004, Manisha Koirala moved to New York City and earned a diploma in filmmaking from New York University.
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On 19 June 2010, Manisha Koirala married Samrat Dahal, a Nepali businessman, in a traditional ceremony held in Kathmandu.
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On 29 November 2012, media news reported that Manisha Koirala had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
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Manisha Koirala had no clue about the disease until she felt very weak, and went to a hospital in Kathmandu with her brother.
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Manisha Koirala flew to India and was admitted to Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai.
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Manisha Koirala then flew to the US for treatment, however the exact ailment was not disclosed.
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Manisha Koirala had to undergo chemotherapy and spent months at the hospital in New York.