Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi has been in the news since its release earlier this month. The headline act surely is Manisha Koirala, who wowed one and all with her performance as Mallikajaan, a courtesan in British-era Lahore. Heeramandi marks Manisha’s reunion with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after 28 years. She was the leading lady opposite Salman Khan in Bhansali’s directorial debut Khamoshi, which hit the theatres in 1996. In an exclusive interaction with NDTV’s Abira Dhar, Manisha Koirala talked about her journey in the film industry, her struggles with depression and how she battled it all.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Cancer
In 2012, Manisha Koirala was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was treated in New York and recovered by 2014. When asked if she has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after cancer, Manisha Koirala said, “Absolutely. I took therapy. You know there is a good painter. He is from Pune and he is now in Mumbai. And he was doing some therapy with me because I had just come out from my treatment and I had a few days here. He asked me to come to my art class and paint anything using a brush and you will feel good. And one or two days later I went and he said ‘Manisha, I think you are depressed. I think you need counselling.’ And I said ‘Really? Okay.’ Because I was so eager to heal. Eager to know if there is anything which needs healing, I must go for it.”
Why Therapy Is Important
Manisha Koirala said that she never looked at prioritising mental health as a “taboo”.
“So, I never looked at it as a taboo. So, he put me on a very good psychotherapist and I did one year of therapy with him and it was brilliant. And it was one of the best pieces of advice that I got. When our body is sick, we go to an expert. We go to the doctor. So, when emotionally and mentally we are slightly disturbed or hurt or confused, please take help. There is help available and why not?” she said.
The Heeramandi actress said that being impacted by cancer she understood how the health of the body and mind health are intertwined. She said, “Even now, sometimes I go through deep depression. Honestly, when I was doing Heeramandi, it consumed me so much that my mood swings were like (rapidly fluctuating). I knew that you sail through this phase and once this is out, focus on your health. So now I am into that phase of slowly getting into focus. One has to look after one’s well-being.”
Keeping Up With The Latest Trends
When asked if matching up with the young fans creates pressure, Maisha Koirala said, “You know tell me about it. There is always comedy going on in my monologue, in my head because it is the airport look, the paparazzi and the social media. And I am like I have tried it all and some I can’t share in front of the camera. But maybe someday in my book, I will. So it is like I have fallen flat on my face.”
About her attempts to ace airport looks, Manisha Koirala had a nice laugh and said, “I have tried and failed and how. We try it, we fail and again we try. Then we will reach a phase that this is not for me. On social media also, I will post aaram se. So even today also, my stylist posted my picture much before I posted it…So I am still learning.”
