By Saurav Borah
Call it a triumph of human spirit or victory over a life-threatening disease such as cancer or an adorable comeback to do what she does best, Manisha Koirala stands tall today as the “victor” and not the “victim”.
Having overcome or rather “conquered” late-stage cancer, the popular Bollywood artiste of the 1990s, is an inspiration for those on the brink of losing hope. At the same time, she has become more grounded after passing through a traumatic phase and is now looking at her “second life” very differently.
“Cancer taught me to live life differently. When I was diagnosed with late stage cancer I was not sure whether I would survive. It was a phase when I was contemplating how I would live if I got a second chance. But later I realised I had a few pockets of life, be it work and family, which I value the most, health or serving people in some small capacity, which I had to live 100 per cent. And I did that. So life is a gift that should not be taken for granted but enjoyed,” Manisha said during an interactive session at the Brahmaputra Literary Festival while talking about her book Healed on Sunday.
The actress who was in Guwahati for a day also took part in a cancer awareness rally organised by Deepsikha Foundation, an NGO that works for cancer awareness and cancer care. She also visited a cancer care home run by the NGO. “I met a 72-year-old lady at the rally and was really impressed by her story. Having overcome the disease twice she told me that happiness was a choice and that she chose to be happy. So, it is important to prioritise your wellbeing, physical, mental and emotional,” Manisha, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, said.
On her message for cancer patients, she said awareness, early detection and periodic check-ups along with family support are a must. “Leading a balanced life by eating healthy, being active, taking adequate rest and just being happy is important. We all have issues and it is imperative that we do not carry that baggage. Whether we want to become the victor or victim is a choice we have to make,” she said.
The 48-year-old artiste also spoke about how cancer gave her a new life in Healed, which she co-authored with writer Neelam Kumar.
“I wanted to be an author since childhood as I loved reading books, telling stories. But it was only during my cancer treatment that I seriously thought by penning my story. A Rinpoche had advised me to keep notes and maintain a diary during my treatment. But the thought of writing a book was on my mind. Then I met co-author, Neelam Kumar who wanted to write my biography… However, we were stuck in our projects. But once we managed time, Healed happened,” she said, while disclosing that more books are likely to follow in the days to come.
Five years after her successful fight against the disease, Manisha has taken up a few assignments such as a woman centric drama, Dear Maya in 2017, Lust Stories (Netflix series) and Sanju in 2018, where she played the role of Sunjay Dutt’s mother Nargis.
“I love my work, I love films, acting…I wanted to act again and that urge was pretty I was in hospital,” she said, while picking Bombay, Khamoshi, Akele Hum Akele Tum and Sanju as her all-time favourites.
Asked how she approached the role of Nargis, who had also battled cancer before she passed away, Manisha candidly said, “I was actually very shaky and nervous to play Nargis, as she was an iconic figure of Indian cinema…she was not only gorgeous but super talented. But I am glad that it came through well.”
Manisha also showered praise on the acting skills of Adil Hussain and Seema Biswas, with whom she shared screen space in Khamoshi.
The actress did not disclose much on a project with Adil Hussain soon, but said, “I am looking forward to act with Adil who is from Assam and he is such a brilliant actor…I am a big fan of his work. So is Seema Biswas, with whom I had an opportunity to work in Khamoshi… she is an incredible actor.”
Commenting on woman-oriented films, Manisha said, “Any actress would love to do a woman-oriented film. The audience is accepting cinema and stories that portray women in strong characters. However, in the golden era, films did have strong and powerful characters played by women…although in between there was a pause. More than the artistes, it is the script and story and its execution that make a good film.”