Actresses Manisha Koirala and Madhuri Dixit were some of the many sought-after actresses in the Hindi film industry during the 90s. There was a time when they were constantly pitted against each other as the leading ladies. The former recently opened up about the time she rejected the movie Dil Toh Pagal Hai because it starred the latter too. While she always wanted to work with Yash Chopra, she regretted rejecting the movie because she was scared and insecure.
In a recent interview with India Today, the 53-year-old actress, who left a mark in the film industry with her versatile performances, spoke about one of the regrets of her career. She revealed that she didn’t get the chance to do a Yash Chopra film. Quoted by the Free Press Journal, she added, “I was pitted against Madhuri ji (Dixit), and I got scared. I backed out of that project.”
The Bombay actress went on to add how she had approached the late filmmaker with the request of working with him as “he portrayed women so beautifully.” She expressed how she even told him that it was her dream to be his heroine. Koirala added, “Somehow, [because of] better judgement of mine, I think I missed out.”
It was later in 2001, when Manisha and Madhuri collaborated together for Rajkumar Santoshi directorial Lajja. Sharing her experience on the same she revealed, “I think when you have a strong maker, and when you are confident in your own skin, the security comes. Also, I had done the mistake of letting go of a major project which could have been a landmark film in my career. I realised I didn't want to do that mistake again because of my silly insecurities. I am so glad I did it. I am so proud of Lajja.”
On the work front, Manisha Koirala is currently gearing up for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The multi-starrer is all set to premiere on Netflix on May 1, 2024.
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