Manisha Koirala has cemented her name as one of Bollywood's most versatile actresses. The ethereal actress, last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi, has spent over three decades in the cinema industry. She has won countless hearts with the powerful characters she plays and the ease with which she portrays them. However, that doesn't mean Manisha's personal life has been free from struggles. In the year 2012, she fought one of the hardest battles of her life as she grappled with her ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Manisha Koirala has portrayed some very strong women on screen. However, when she first found out about her ovarian cancer diagnosis, she found it hard to be as strong as them, as most of us would. In a recent conversation with the ANI, Manisha opened up about being completely shocked when she received the diagnosis and believing that she was 'going to die.' She said:
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"In 2012 I was diagnosed and I had no clue that it was the last stage of ovarian cancer. And when I was diagnosed in Nepal, I was very fearful, obviously, like everybody else, extremely. We were in Jaslok Hospital. There also, when the doctors came, the two, three doctors, the top doctors, and I spoke to them, I felt I was going to die. And I felt this was the end of me."
When Manisha Koirala's strength failed her, it was her family who lifted her up. They were the ones who recommended seeking treatment for her illness in New York. Manisha narrated:
"We knew some two, three known people, figures, we knew that they had gone to New York and done the treatment. And my grandfather also had gone to Sloan Kettering and done the treatment."
Manisha remained in New York for some 5 to 6 months, seeking cancer treatment. She further spoke about her successful 11-hour operation and the kindness displayed by the doctors to her family.
Apparently, Manisha's mother had worshipped Mahamrityunjaya jaap to get a Rudraksha mala from Nepal. She then gave the same to Manisha's doctor to keep, and he did so throughout the operation. Following its success, he even mentioned to Manisha that the mala had worked wonders for her.
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When Manisha started responding well to chemotherapy, her doctor introduced her to Punjabi-American, Vicky Makker, who became responsible for her treatment. The latter gave Manisha a lot of hope, but nevertheless, she had moments when she would 'break down' and 'see only darkness, hopelessness, pain, and fear.' However, Vicky kept motivating her, saying that she was doing well and the medicine was working on her.
As she looked back over her journey, Manisha said that surviving cancer had made her think about her career more. The talented actress had decided that if she were given a 'second chance' at life, she would give her work her all. And she did just that with Heeramandi. In her words:
"I knew one thing, if I got a second chance at life, I had to go and fix the score because life gave me so much. And I felt I was the one who ruined everything. So I wanted to correct that mistake. I felt responsible towards my work... because there were so many fans I had disappointed by doing bad films. I prayed that if I got a second chance, I really wanted to do the best that I could and not disappoint my fans. So I felt Heeramandi was that for me. I really put my every effort into that."
Manisha Koirala is truly an inspirational woman, both in real life and on-screen. We wish her more power and even greater success in the future.
Also Read: Nimrat Kaur Breaks Silence On Being In Extra-Marital Affair With Abhishek, Confirms Single Status
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