‘Don’t care about people’s opinions any more’
Having stayed away from the public eye for five long years, actor Manisha Koirala is finally making a comeback in films. After battling cancer and sailing through a failed marriage, the 46-year-old says the tough phase in her life has taught her a lot. “I have stopped living in the fear of what others will think of me. That is a wrong way to live. I want to live fearlessly,” she says, and adds, “And honestly, after coming out of a near death situation, when I look back, I don’t really value people’s opinion. I do respect them, but it should not encroach into my idea of living because it’s my life.”
No wonder then that she says that she is content, but is quick to add that it doesn’t mean there are no regrets. “There have been times when I felt hurt. I have been sad and disappointed and cried too. But now, I feel those phases were necessary for me to grow as a person and value things in life,” says Manisha with a glint in her eyes and a smile.
The actor, who has made a comeback in the film Dear Maya, feels nobody leads a perfect life and goes through heartbreaks and emotional breakdowns. However, she admits that she’s been through extremes. “What can I say? Maybe I am the chosen one,” she laughs.
Manisha married Samrat Dahal, a Nepali businessman in 2010 and the two got separated in 2012, the same year when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Ask her if she feels a void in her life after spending years alone, battling the deadly disease, she says, “I feel I probably had a void before, and to fill that void, I kept on searching and knocking at the wrong door, so I don’t want to make that mistake again.” She says that she is now sure she doesn’t want to remarry, and that she no longer needs a man in her life to complete her. “Only if somebody can add value to my life, he is welcome,” she says.
I have stopped living in the fear of what others will think of me. That is a wrong way to live. I want to live fearlessly MANISHA KOIRALA, ACTOR