Actress Manisha Koirala made a name for herself in the Hindi and Tamil film industry with her versatile performances. Over the years, she has carved a niche for herself by portraying strong female characters. However, it was back in 2012 that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She flew to New York for her treatment. The actress, who left the netizens speechless and in awe with her portrayal of Mallikajaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s recently released show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, recently recalled the traumatic experience of her life.
In an interview with NDTV, Koirala revealed dealing with cancer was one of the toughest phases of her life. However, it became harder after she realised who was truly there for her. Talking about the entire journey, she explained that she felt lonely as none of her close friends or extended family stuck by her during her hard time. Calling it a learning experience, she shared how she always believed she had multiple friends, but they started to distance themselves from her as many are not capable of supporting others when they are in pain. ALSO READ: SHOCKING! Manisha Koirala Suffered Depression During Heeramandi Shoot, Actress Sat Still For Seven Hours Straight To Get One Shot Right
Quoted by Bollywood Shaadis, the 53-year-old actress shared, “It has also been a learning experience. I really believed that I had multiple friends. I thought partying together, travelling together, having fun together, people will sit with me in my pain. That was not so. People are not capable of sitting with anybody’s pain, let alone their own pain. We always try to find excuses to not feel pain. We want to escape pain. That’s human nature.” ALSO READ: ‘The Technicians Came Over And Said Thank You’: Shekhar Suman On His Oral S*x Scene With Manisha Koirala In Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar
Throughout everything, the ones who always stuck by her were her immediate family members. Even her big affluent family members weren’t there for her. She added, “I have a big family, and everybody is affluent, they can all afford it. But it was my parents, it was my brother, it was my brother’s wife. And that is it. And I realised that when everybody leaves me, these are the people who will be with me. My priority is my immediate family, no matter what. They come first in my life, everybody else later.”
On the work front, Manisha Koirala was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. She essayed the role of Mallikajaan, the matriarch of the tawaaifs living in Heeramandi. Her performance is being lauded by the netizens. The show also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and others in lead roles.
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