Bollywood star Manisha Koirala met up with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his official residence 10 Downing Street, London recently. The actress represented her country Nepal as it celebrated 100 years of its ‘friendship treaty’ with the UK.
Manisha took to Instagram and shared pictures from her meeting with the UK PM. “It was an honour to be invited to 10 Downing Street to celebrate United Kingdom-Nepal relations and 100 years of our friendship treaty. It was such a pleasure to hear the Prime Minister @rishisunakmp speak fondly of our country #nepal. I took the liberty of inviting the P.M. and his family to come trek to Everest Base Camp,” Manisha wrote in the caption.
The actress also expressed joy over learning how most attendees at the event had watched her latest release, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
“Can you believe that most of the attendees had seen #heeramandionnetflix and loved it ? I was thrilled,” she added.
The actress plays the matriarch Mallika Jaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s web series that was released earlier this month on Netflix. Manisha’s performance in the show has been lauded by one and all.
In her review, WION’s Shomini Sen wrote, “Manisha Koirala adapts a deep baritone to play the menacing, controlling Mallika Jaan for whom power is above all kinds of familial bonding. Koirala and Bhansali collaborate after two long decades. Their last outing Khamoshi was a poignant coming-of-age story. In Heeramandi, Koirala is the leader of the pack – in all sense of the term and takes the detailed story forward with her credible performance.” Read full review here
A few days ago, in a lengthy note on Instagram, Manisha chronicled her journey of resuming work after battling ovarian cancer, portraying an important character in the lavish period drama, and getting her due as a female actor thanks to streamers.
“Heeramandi has been a significant milestone. As a 53-year-old actor who has bagged an important role in a high-profile web series, I am overjoyed that I’m not stuck playing insignificant peripheral roles, thanks to OTT platforms and changing audience profiles. Finally, female actors, technicians, and other professionals have started getting the long overdue and well-deserved good quality of work and respect in a professional environment. I am fortunate to be a part of this evolving era,” Manisha wrote.
Manisha recalled the doubts and anxiety that plagued her when she started shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial and added, “Today, when I am receiving so many accolades, I can’t help but remember the doubts and anxiety that plagued me when I was about to start shooting. Still recovering from the dreaded C, would my body be strong enough to deal with the intense shooting schedules, heavy costumes, and jewelry, and perform a role requiring so much nuance and effortless effort?”
Recalling the challenges she faced while shooting a particular scene, Manisha wrote, “The fountain sequence proved the most physically challenging. It required me to be immersed in a water fountain for over 12 hours. That tested my resilience! Even though Sanjay had thoughtfully ensured that the water was warm and clean, over the hours, the water turned muddy, (because my team members, the Cinematographer, and the art director’s team were getting into the water to work around the scene.) Every single pore in my body was soaked in that muddy water.”
“Even though I was beyond exhaustion by the end of the shoot, I felt a deep happiness within my heart. My body had taken the stress and remained resilient. I knew I had passed a critical physical test,” Manisha continued.
The actor concluded her post by expressing gratitude for all the love showered on her. She stated, “To you, who think your time has come and gone, whether it’s due to age, illness or any setback, never give up! You never know what could be waiting for you around the bend! I’m deeply grateful for your love and generosity of spirit!#50andfabulous #heeramandionnetflix #netflix #grateful #hope.”