‘I DON’T CARE ABOUT CELEBRITY STATUS’

...says actor Manisha Koirala, who has worked with almost all the leading men in Bollywood, and is now keen on working with younger actors as well

Actor Manisha Koirala’s (left) comeback film, Dear Maya, after a hiatus of five years, might have fizzled out without much noise, but that certainly hasn’t deterred her spirit. Manisha is all set to work with actor Ranbir Kapoor in an upcoming biopic, based on actor Sanjay Dutt’s life.

For someone who has worked with almost all the leading names from the fraternity during the ‘90s, including the likes of Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor among others, it must have been a different experience teaming up with the current breed of actors.

“I find these young actors hard working and focused. Ranbir is one of the finest talents we have in our [film] industry. And I believe it’s not about senior or younger co-stars. For me, it’s always great to share screen space with good actors,” says Manisha, who worked with newcomer Shreya Chaudhary in Dear Maya.

Manisha adds that she doesn’t believe in giving too much of a thought to who her co-actors are in a film, as each one turns out to be different. “I don’t really care much about the celebrity status (of her co-actors) because honestly, it’s the by-product of the original thing, which is talent and the capacity of the actor,” she says, pointing out that she admires Alia Bhatt from the younger generation of stars.

“She’s [Alia] just so brilliant and super-talented. I loved her in Udta Punjab and Dear Zindagi. I thought she was flawless and I’d love to work with her someday.”

Manisha doesn’t shy away from confessing that she had to pace up to be at par with the changing times and her presence on social media is an outcome of that. “I am still struggling with it. I have a young team of people managing my social media and it’s their show ... they know what to do and they guide me on what will work best for me,” she adds.

I believe it’s not about senior or younger co-stars; it’s always great to share screen space with good actors MANISHA KOIRALA, ACTOR