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Did you know Manisha Koirala almost rejected Mani Ratnam’s Bombay? Here’s who convinced her to not be ‘silly’
Actress Manisha Koirala in a recent interview revealed that she almost rejected Mani Ratnam's cult classic Bombay and it was Ashok Mehta who made her understand to not be silly in leaving it.
Manisha Koirala is currently gearing up for the release of her upcoming period drama Heeramandi. The actress is all set to play the character of Mallika Jaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s digital debut. Manisha had featured in some of the finest movies in her career and Mani Ratnam’s Bombay was one of them.
Manisha Koirala played the character of Shaila Banu and was paired opposite Arvind Swamy. Unknown to many, Manisha wasn’t really keen to sign the movie at first because she was apprehensive about playing a mother at such a young age.
Why did Manisha Koirala almost reject Bombay?
The Dil Se.. actress shared with India Today, “In the 1990s, especially in Bollywood or the Bombay industry, there was a taboo that even if you’re a hero playing a protagonist if you play a mother on screen, you will quickly be put in a box and end up playing supporting mother roles. You will no longer be the main hero, and that scared everyone around me, including my manager and other industry people."
It was late cinematographer Ashok Mehta who eventually made Manisha understand that she shouldn’t refuse Bombay. He told the Gupt actress, “Silly girl, you're refusing a Mani Ratnam film because you have to play a mother at 19-20? Big deal, please go ahead and do it. You should be lucky he’s offered you a film. You should see the kind of movies he makes.”
Koirala went on to share that she was grateful that she had people like Mehta to guide her in her career and tell her that if she dared to refuse a project as such, it would be a big-time loss for her.
For the unversed, Bombay was released in 1995 and earned Manisha massive praise for her performance. She later starred in another Mani Ratnam film titled Dil Se.. opposite Shah Rukh Khan which was also a hit.
“I grew so much working with Mani Sir. The way he took shots, the way he experimented, he is a maestro," Manisha concluded.
The actress’ next - Heeramandi will start streaming on Netflix on May 1.
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