Manisha Koirala recalls Madhuri Dixit recommending her for Subhash Ghai's 'Saudagar'

Manisha Koirala and Madhuri Dixit Pics/Yogen Shah

Actor Manisha Koirala, who has worked with several established names in the industry, recalled how Bollywood's diva Madhuri Dixit recommended her name to Subhash Ghai for his film 'Saudagar'.

In an exclusive conversation with ANI, she remembered sharing screen space with Madhuri in 'Lajja' and how she got 'Saudagar' because of her recommendation.

She said, "She is marvellous. I love her. Also, the fact that later on I got to know that she had recommended my name. She had seen me in Rakesh Shrestha's photo shoot. And she had actually told Subhash (Ghai) Ji that I've seen one girl. 'You should see her for 'Saudagar''. That's how Subhash Ji called for my photograph from Rakesh Shrestha."

Recalling her experience of working in the Ghai's 1991 film 'Saudagar', she shared, "'Saudagar' was a good experience. I was too young, too naive, right out of my 12th standard. I was 18 or 19 with no exposure to life, no exposure to anything. I was very fearful. I was very scared. I wanted to keep everybody at a distance."

Madhuri and Manisha have shared screen space in Rajkumar Santoshi's 2001 film 'Lajja' and danced with her on the iconic track 'Badi Mushkil'.

She also talked about being called Madhuri Dixit's look-alike earlier and how she reacted to it initially.

Koirala said, " Honestly, those days I wasn't flattered. But today I am. Because she is so beautiful. She is so graceful. And not only that, she is a wonderful woman. As a person, I just love her. And it was quite an honour."

Manisha remembered sharing screen space with her in 'Lajja', " By then I had also matured. My eyes had opened and I was seeing my goodness, such a humble person. Super talented and so beautiful."

Apart from 'Lajja' and 'Saudagar', Manisha has proved acting talent by working in films such as '1942: A Love Story', 'Bombay', 'Khamoshi: The Musical', 'Gupt', 'Dil Se', and many more.

Recently, Manisha was seen as Mallika Jaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut web series 'Heeramandi'.

In the show, Manisha shared screen space with Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Aditi Rao Hydari among others. Set against the backdrop of India's struggle for independence in the 1940s, the show explores the lives of courtesans and their patrons, delving into the cultural dynamics of Heera Mandi.

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