In a candid revelation, veteran actress Manisha Koirala spoke about the hypocrisy she encountered in Bollywood during the 1990s. Reflecting on her experiences, Manisha highlighted the double standards that existed in the industry regarding the behavior of actresses, particularly around the consumption of alcohol.
During an interview, Manisha recalled on of the time during her shooting and said, “At the time of Saudagar, there was a coke mixed with vodka, and I was told by people around me not to tell people that I am drinking vodka because actresses are not meant to be drinking alcohol. I was told to say that I’m drinking coke. I learnt that new thing. I told my mom, ‘I am drinking coke’, and she knew I put vodka in it, and she said, ‘Listen, if you are drinking vodka, say you are drinking vodka, don’t say you are drinking coke, don’t lie for such small little things’. If I was dating somebody, I am dating somebody. You want to judge me? Go ahead and judge me but that’s me, this is me and I lead my life on my own terms.”
She got nostalgic while speaking and recalling some of the past events, “I faced some flak for it because in those days, the heroes could have many girlfriends, and they were called macho men, but the actress was supposed to be this, ‘no no no, nobody is touching me’ and ‘we are very untouched.’ It was also misunderstood that (she is) very easy or easy girl. But I took it on my stride. Just because I have a personal life, or I have a boyfriend doesn’t mean I am going to be unprofessional in my life. I love my work. We had some very warped value system for actresses, which didn’t go well with me.”
She explained how there were and perhaps still there are these expectations to maintain a certain image, and any deviation was frowned upon, especially for actresses. Despite these challenges, Manisha Koirala carved a successful career and remains an influential figure in the industry.
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