Manisha Koirala reveals Vidhu Vinod Chopra told her ‘you are very bad’ during her screen test of 1942 A Love Story, says she was ‘horrible’: ‘I requested him to…’

Manisha Koirala recalled how she came on board 1942: A Love Story, despite a 'horrible' table read.

Manisha Koirala talks about her screen test for 1921: A Love Story. (Photo: Manisha Koirala/Instagram

Imagine actor Manisha Koirala not getting a scene right and being told about it right to her face. That’s exactly what happened during her breakout film 1942: A Love Story, which was directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and co-starred Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.

Talking to Pinkvilla, Manisha Koirala recalled how she came on board the film after a “horrible” table read of the film’s first scene. Even though Manisha had made her debut with Saudagar in 1991, the 1994 period romantic drama stamped her as an actress to watch out for.

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“There was an incident during 1942: A Love Story. During my first reading of the scene, I was horrible, and Vidhu Vinod Chopra clearly told me, ‘You are very bad.’ So, I requested him to give me 24 hours. If, even then, you don’t find me good, I’ll accept it.”

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The actor said she then went home and wasn’t even aware “what was good acting or bad acting” as it was her “third or fourth” film. “I had only 3-4 sheets in my hand, and I read them countless times. I went back, did the screen test again, and, of course, I was accepted,” she added.

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Post the film, Manisha Koirala went on to star in several successful and acclaimed films like Bombay, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Khamoshi-The Musical, Indian, Gupt, Kachche Dhaage and Company among others.

The actor is now set to make her OTT debut with the Sanjay Leela Bhansali created series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, based on the courtesans of Lahore before the partition.

The project also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chaddha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal. Meanwhile Vidhu Vinod Chopra last directed 12th Fail, headlined by Vikrant Massey.

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