Manisha Koirala Birthday: If resilience, strength and positivity could be summed up in one, the first name that springs to mind is Manisha Koirala. The Bollywood actress has braved more than meets the eye. Coming from a prominent Nepalese household, Manisha's grandfather was the Prime Minister of Nepal. Hailing from a political setting there were some prejudices attached to her yet she etched a name for herself in Bollywood and featured in more than 50 films across languages. She has given some blockbuster hits like Dil Se, Gupt: The Hidden Truth and Khamoshi: The Musical among many others.
Manisha was indeed one of the most popular faces in the 1990s and 2000s but things changed in 2012. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer which she successfully overcame. In an earlier interview, Manisha spoke about how the fear of losing it all made her appreciate life. The Bollywood actress said she found poetry in the everyday mundaneness of the world - the sunrise, the grass, the shining stars - and feels more appreciative of life today with every breath she takes.
"When I was at the brink of losing it all - with my health crisis - that made me appreciate life. For me, everyday is a blessing. I look at things which I ignored earlier. I feel blessed to be alive," Manisha had told a news agency.
In 2018, Manisha published her book, Healed, sharing her battle against cancer. The actress mentions in the book that she was dismayed to learn that she has stage IV ovarian cancer. Initially, she did not accept that her cancer reached the last stage, meaning it had spread to other organs. There was a time when she felt hopeless. But eventually, it got better.
The actress was always vocal when it came to promoting causes such as women's rights, prevention of violence against women and prevention of human trafficking added cancer awareness too to her list. She has used her social media account to send across a message of hope to survivors and those struggling with cancer. Often she posts photos and videos showcasing her transformation and what she went through during her treatment. Here, take a look at Manisha Koirala's transformation before and after her victory against cancer:
Manisha took a break from acting after her cancer diagnosis and returned to the screen 5 years later in 2015. She has been active since then, featuring in at least one project every year. Her most notable performance in the second phase of her career has been Sanjay Dutt's biopic Sanju (2018). In the film, she played the role of Nargis, the on-screen mother to Ranbir Kapoor. She also featured in Netflix film Maska (2020) and her most recent outing was 99 Songs (2021) by AR Rahman.
Next she will be seen in Shehzaada featuring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon.
