by MOHNISH SINGH
MANISHA KOIRALA ON HER RETURN TO BOLLYWOOD AFTER BEATING CANCER
HIGH-profile films like 1942: A Love Story (1994), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se (1999) helped Manisha Koirala solidify her position as one of the leading female faces of Bollywood in the 1990s.
But then things started to change at the beginning of the new millennium. Koirala started a steady slide which hit rock bottom when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, which stopped her career in its tracks.
She beat cancer, and after taking a break from films for five years, made a comeback in 2017 with the critically-acclaimed drama Dear Maya. Koirala was recently seen portraying legendary actress Nargis in big budget biopic Sanju and delivered a winning performance.
Eastern Eye caught up with the 47-year-old actress to talk about her role in Sanju, working with director Rajkumar Hirani, the pressures of looking young, how Bollywood has changed over the years, and more...
You are playing the role of Nargis in Sanju. Did you ever encounter her before entering films?
Not really! I met Sunil Dutt many years back when he saw my film Bombay. He called me and said: ‘Manisha, you reminded me of Nargis Duttji, and brilliant work child.’ It was so good for me to get that feedback from him, about a legendary actress, and now years later, I’m playing her character.
Are you familiar with the seminal work Nargis did in her heyday?
I’m familiar with her work, but this movie deals with her personal life especifically her affection for her son. So, I had to research her, not as an actor but as a mother also, and for that, there were documentaries, interviews and discussions. By chance, I did an event with Priya Dutt and she handed me a book, Mr and Mrs Dutt. From that, I got little glimpses of Nargis Dutt’s personal space. I needed to know her as a person.
How much of Nargis will we see in the film?
This entire film, as the name suggests and as you all know, is about Sanjay Dutt. Also, the time span the director has chosen to tell this story does not include a lot of the mother’s time and, in fact, her story concentrates right after the (cancer) diagnosis.
Did you have any discussions with Sanjay Dutt about his mother as part of your preparation for the role?
Not really, because when I was doing the movie, I was only focused on how (Rajkumar) Hirani was telling this story. So, it was necessary for me to spend time and understand from a director’s perspective, and once I got a hang of it I really didn’t have to ask much about it.
Later on, when I was working with Sanjay Dutt in Prasthaanam, he saw the poster and appreciated it. He complimented me by saying that there was a lot of resemblance, which was a huge pat on my back and I really liked that.
There were tapes Nargis left for Sanjay Dutt. Did you hear them?
There is a scene in the film that portrays this incident. I don’t want to give out much about the film or those scenes. I myself haven’t heard those tapes.
You have been working in films for almost three decades. Are you satisfied with your career graph?
Actually, I feel blessed I got a great career when I was in my twenties, and now in my forties, people ha-ve accepted me back. It feels great; it feels wonderful to be loved. When my last movie Dear Maya (2017) released, people appreciated me and they said welcome back. It’s such a blessing. I am very happy.
Do you find any clear-cut differences between the era when you started and now?
I think director to director, everybody’s style is different, but the era then and now is completely different in the sense that today’s new generation is exploring a different kind of cinema and narratives.
I feel back then we had a smaller framework and were working in those confined frameworks, but now there is more experimental scope. There is web series, there is television, there are multiplexes and you are exposed to world cinema.
So, automatically, the standard for performance is high. And look at today’s generation’s professionalism, hat’s off to them! They really work hard, they are really focused. I think it’s a great time for Indian cinema.
Were you ever sceptical about the fact that if in your forties you play a mother, the roles offered to you in the future would be in the same zone?
Yes, definitely. There is a nervousness that what if I am typecast? Though I also believe you must work according to your age because the pressure to look young, the pressure to look beautiful constantly, becomes too much and you don’t know when you have crossed the boundary and it becomes unhealthy.
So I think age is beautiful and it is so natural to age. It’s just being graceful about it and to be able to do the roles which match my age, I would love to do that. I cannot do what I did when I was 20-year-old.
At my age, if I can get to do varieties of role, I would love to follow them, but if I am only offered a typical mother role then it’s better I don’t work at all. So I invite directors and writers to be slightly more creative because life does not end when you are 25 or 30.
Do you ever feel a pressure to look a certain way?
You see, in our world, looking beautiful is what we make important, and to look young is what we see in the fashion industry like in Vogue etc. So I feel this whole mindset of not accepting the natural process, somewhere there is a fault because ageing is the most natural thing that happens. You have to be healthy internally. Your health should shine through. One should strive for that.
When you were approached for the role of Nargis Dutt in Sanju, did you immediately agree or did you take some time to say yes?
I was very nervous and was not sure. Both Nargisji and I have had a history with health, so I was not sure if I had enough guts to revive that memory, to live it all over again. So I was very hesitant. Will I be able to do it or not? Will this be good for me? How tough will it be? These were some questions in my mind.
I did not know. I discus-sed this with Rajkumar Hirani. He assured me that it did not revolve around that topic too much, so I must not worry. When I heard the whole narration, I knew I could do it and am so glad that I did.
How was your first meeting with Sanjay Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor?
The first time Sanjay Dutt and I met was when we did the film Yalgaar (1992). I told him when I was growing up, I was his fan. But in my house, I was not allowed to keep posters of celebrities, so I secretly kept a poster of Sanjay Dutt and Tina Munim behind the door of my almirah.
We had a big laugh about it. I never got to interact much with Ranbir Kapoor, though I was taken aback when Hirani showed me the clips of Ranbir playing Sanju. He has done a marvellous job. I couldn’t differentiate much between them.
What kind of a co-star is Sanjay Dutt?
He is very nice and full of heart. He is all heart. We have done a few films together and he used to have fun, he was a brat, he was a prankster. It was a very jolly environment around him.
You have worked with some great directors of the industry; what were the key points that helped you grow as an actress?
Whenever I worked with good directors, I got a chance to peep into their soul because whenever a filmmaker is making a film, you get to see where their minds are. Some directors are poetic and their films are like poetry.
I really like Mani Ratnam sir’s work. I also got a chance to work with Mansoor Khan and then Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It’s different with each director, like when I worked with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, he was full of romance and told me to improve very strictly. I learned acting from him. He was a strict taskmaster, taught me the value of hard work and how much effort it takes to enact correctly.
I learned many things from various people. With Mani sir, the way he gets into a dark space but he finds beauty in that, with Raju sir, his movies teach me so much. He has beautiful things to say about life and situations without lecturing, and entertaining throughout. I feel really lucky to be working with so many brilliant directors.
Do you have any specific criteria for the kind of projects you choose?
The only criteria I always stick to is that I get a good role with a good director. If I get to play good characters, which I have not yet done before, that’s the only wish.
Can you tell us something about your new film Prasthaanam?
Yes, the first schedule of Prasthaanam has just finished. The entire unit is still shooting in Lucknow, but my work for the first schedule is finished. It is an interesting take from an already-made film. Though it is a male-centric film, I enjoyed it. It has a lot of drama; a lot of stories, political and family.
How difficult has it been to make a comeback in Bollywood?
Luckily these days directors make all kind of different films and I get offers. I’m blessed with that. I hope it continues and I keep on doing meaningful roles and cinema. I don’t mind the long breaks because during that period I’m doing something or the other. I have to finish my book or I’m with my family or in the mountains. I know the value of life because I was at the spot where I almost lost it. So, I enjoy whatever I have in my life.
- Sanju is in cinemas now
