Courtesy Asia-Online
A Matured Manisha Koirala Bares Her Heart: "I Have
Mellowed Down With Time"
The impulsive, "I give a damn girl" who
had once made headlines for her arrogance, uninhibited lifestyle
and her views on men seems to have given way to a more matured,
poised Manisha Koirala, who is totally in control of herself and
dead serious about her career.
The transformation is distinctly evident. Is it the influence of
Nana Patekar? Or is it the new found awareness of her status as
serious actress. "No one has projected me the way I am"
she huffs, before unraveling her views on her on screen and off
screen image. Excerpts from an interview.
Q : Coming to the industry grapevine, it
is believed that Nana is taking considerable interest in your
career. The number of films you are doing with him only
established this fact.
A : It is not as if I am doing the maximum number of films
only with Nana. I know what people are speculating, that she is
seeing Nana, so she must be working with him too. Since Nana is
looked upon with great awe and respect in the industry, they
probably think he is also guiding me in my career. I hate it if
somebody gives the credit for my career to the men in my life.
I am where I am today only because of myself. It has nothing to
do with somebody helping me out in my career, or guiding me, I
may appear to be soft spoken and timid in my behavior, but, I am
fiercely independent and strong headed person from within. Of
course, you cannot help wagging tongues. Let people say what they
have to.
Q : But you do agree that you have finally
found the dependable man in your life in Nana?
A : Nana and me are good friends, and I don't understand
why people are giving this relationship the name of an affair. I
have always maintained that he is a good friend mine, someone I
can trust. I don't think I owe any explanation to anybody about
the kind of relationship I share with Nana.
Q : There was a time in my life when you
came to be known for your extravagant lifestyle. Your views on
men, drinking and adultery are fairly well known. Don't you feel
apprehensive at any stage, that all this can affect your image as
an actress?
A : I don't believe in an image at all. Look, I know when
the audiences are shut down in a theater and made to watch a film
for three hours. During those three hours, they don't think
whether the actress they are watching on screen has a certain
lifestyle or whether she drinks or smokes. It is difficult for
them to have a two dimensional mind at that moment.
I don't think an actress's personal life has an impact on her
professional life. It is important to do a good job in the role
you are playing which is an achievement by itself. Of course, I
do agree that I did make bold and outrageous statements in my
interviews because that was the way I saw things and believed in
them. I was also disgusted with the lies that were circulating
around about me. I felt like revolting, knowing that speaking out
the truth was the best solution under the circumstances. Had I
lied to myself and tried to be diplomatic and hypocritical, I
would still be losing something. I would rather have people
speculating on my lifestyle by being honest rather than killing
my conscience by lying. But now I have mellowed down with the
time and the years I have spent in the industry.
Q : Have you become cautious now ?
A : I haven't become cautious really, but I have seen the
uselessness of being talked about too often. It doesn't pay. The
people around you and the media tend to exploit you when you are
vulnerable. Why create a controversy and allow people to debate
on your ideology of life? The things you believe could be
debatable for others, so why make a big noise about it? Besides
you don't get anything in return, by letting others know what you
think is right or wrong. Let other people be talked about, let
them be shocking. I did my bit and I am happy about it. I have no
regrets. I did what I wanted to do and now I am doing what I
should.
Q : Coming to your career, don't you agree
that Agnisakshi has been the major plus point in your career, in
the sense that it brought you current standing in the industry?
A : I don't think just one Agnisakshi has elevated me to
my position in the industry. Your contribution to a film matters
more than the success of a film. An actor or an actress could
have ten hit films, but what is taken note of is the kind of
contribution he or she has made to the film. There are actresses
who have given much bigger hits than me, so how come they haven't
achieved it?
Your respectability eventually comes only through your
performance, whether the film is a hit or a flop. Likewise, some
of my films like Khamoshi failed to make an impact, but the same
is not true of my performance. I don't think I am exaggerating if
I say that I have managed to make a mark in each of my
performances, irrespective of the role and its duration.
Q : Industry know all blame the lack of
stability in your career to all the wrong decisions you made by
signing films like Ram Shastra, in which you had only a couple of
scenes, and added your flop list?
A : Ram Shastra was a gesture of friendship towards a
friend, Firoze Nadiawala who has always been there for me a when
I need him. In any case, my role in the film was only meant to
boost the commercial value of the film.
It is a fact that I signed more of the wrong films than the right
films in my career. I did agree that I made a blunder by signing
these films. Some of the films are equally inconsequential. It is
painful for me to carry on doing them but I cannot backtrack on
the decisions I had once taken. I have no other option. I cannot
push them in a corner and ignore them just because I have better
options today.
There are stars in the industry, who manipulate and side track
smaller films which they consider mistakes in their career. But I
am no capable of doing that . Ultimately, I have to live with my
conscience. I can afford to be a failure, but I cannot afford to
be a bad performance, I will never be content ruining somebody
else's life.