Manisha Koirala reveals her first reaction after she was diagnosed with cancer: 'When the doctor told me...'

Acclaimed Bollywood actress and cancer crusader Manisha Koirala spoke candidly about her health and revealed that when she learnt about having the deadly disease, she thought she is “going to die.” Manisha also shared her views on politics, life, and work at a special event hosted by Here & Now 365 at The Chambers, Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, London. 

Reflecting on her personal battle with ovarian cancer in 2012, she shared: “When the doctor told me I had cancer, I thought, this is it. I’m going to die. But by God’s grace, I didn’t. I learned to live again. Resilience isn’t a heroic burst. It’s a series of small choices, made moment by moment,” she said.

In conversation with Manish Tiwari, founder of Here and Now 365, shared her views on Nepal’s political crisis. “Every leader undoes what the previous leader did. That’s why democracy doesn’t seem to work in Nepal. No government lasts,” said Koirala. Describing herself firmly as a “democrat,” she added: “I believe Nepal needs a monarchy on top so there’s some balance.”;Asked how she balances her family’s political legacy with her own global fame, she said: “I love my country deeply. But I worry, there’s a longing for dignity and stability. We need to rebuild institutions, not just governments.”

The actress spoke about her Bollywood career spanning over three decades and recalled how she began without formal training. “I hadn’t even finished Class 12 and suddenly I was standing next to Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar on a film set." She starred in acclaimed films like 1942: A Love Story, Bombay, and Dil Se but said the fame took a toll on her “I burned out. I was working 18-19 hours a day… Slowly, I lost direction.”

During the discussion, Tiwari suggested she could lead a global film project to showcase Nepal beyond the obvious. Manisha said: “That’s a seed you’ve planted today… let’s see what grows.” Concluding on a lighter note, she said: “The Koirala women are so liberated, girls want to be a Koirala but no man wants to marry a Koirala girl!”

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