‘I was never talented’

Once an actor is out of sight for a considerable time,it isn’t easy to return to the silver screen. What worked in Koirala’s favour was that Ram Gopal Varma had the script ready for Bhoot Returns,which is a sequel to his 2003-hit Bhoot. “I hate watching horror films. So when Ramu narrated the script,I was spooked out,but also loved the story. After that it didn’t take him much to convince me,” she says. The film’s shoot made the actress realise the fun she was missing out on. “I left Bollywood thinking I was done with it. But I realised my soul was still here,” she says with a smile.

After Bhoot Returns,she hopes that her other film,Deepti Naval-directed Do Paise Ki Dhoop,Chaar Aane Ki Baarish,sees the light of day. “It has been over two years since I shot for it. It is one of my finest performances. But what is the point of making a film,when nobody sees it?” she quips.

Koirala’s rise to stardom in the ’90s was as meteoric as her fall from the top position during the last decade. One of Bollywood’s most unconventional actresses,Koirala’s success was as much hers as her filmmakers — Mani Ratnam,Subhash Ghai,Vidhu Vinod Chopra,Sanjay Leela Bhansali — she worked with. After her “angelic looks” grabbed the industry’s attention with Saudagar (1991),Koirala was also appreciated in Chopra’s 1942 – A Love Story (1994).

Mani Ratnam’s Bombay,however,marked her arrival as an actor. “I had rejected that offer. I had no idea who Mani was and people advised me against playing a mother on screen at such a young age,” she says. But cinematographer Ashok Mehta convinced her. “It is for Ashokji that Bombay remains one of my best works till date,” she adds. More successful films followed — Criminal,Akele Hum Akele Tum,Agni Sakshi,Khamoshi,Gupt,Dil Se and Company.

Although Koirala was known as much for her talent as for her looks,the actress attributes her success to her directors. Before her debut,the actress had attended an acting school,also training in various dance forms apart from horse riding. “Despite all this,I was never talented. I was just photogenic,” says the actress. She recounts her screen test for 1942- A Love Story when Chopra called her a “horrible actress”. “He told me I was pathetic. I cried,howled and my ego was shattered. I asked him for another chance,rehearsed through the night. When he saw my performance the following day,he told me there was a marked improvement. But I needed to work more on it,” she recalls. She explains that she had to be pushed by all her directors to deliver her best. “If I wasn’t told I was a bad actor,I would have never been good,” she points out.

Today,Koirala is much more confident of her performances. The film offers may be few and far between,but Koirala claims to be selective. “I don’t want to do films for the sake of doing them. At this stage of my career,I want to do roles that drive me,” she says. In her spare time,she practises meditation,tai chi and pilates. She also has an offer to direct a film. “There are lots of things to be done. But one at a time,” she says.