Thiruvananthapuram: A couple of decades ago, Manisha Koirala was recognized by every other person in Tamil Nadu, for she was the girl who walked away with accolades for her performance in Bombay and Uyire (Tamil version of Dil Se), and charmed them in the film Indian. She earned fame in Bollywood as well, with Khamoshi and some others to her credit. The actor, in real life, is a cancer surviver, and is now back in action for a film promotion. This time around, she is geared up for the promotions of her Malayalam movie, Edavapathy, directed by Lenin Rajendran.
“I want to put cancer behind me and put my life back on track,” said the Nepali actress, who was one among the most bankable actors in the 90s. “Society should know about people like me who have battled out cancer for a better life.”
Edavapathy, Manisha’s second Malayalam venture, is a period movie that puts together mythology and modern art. “It is a pleasure to be a part of an intellectual and artistic movie,” she said. Her one and only Malayalam outing was in 2010 for Shyamaprasad's Electra.
Edavapathy depicts the struggles of the Tibetan people in Bylacopa in Mysore district. The nearly 7,000-strong population, including nuns, monks and civilians have lived here for 37 years.
“The primary goal of each Tibetan is to return to their homeland. But they are confused about what route to take; whether to embrace the spiritual path of the Dalai Lama or to resort to terrorism to reach their goal,” said Lenin Rajendran, the movie director. “The movie also deals with the story of Vasavadatta and Upagupta, two characters from a Buddhist tale.”
Siddharth Lama, the young Rimpoche of Yodha fame, plays the character of Upagupta, who is desperate to get to his homeland, Lhasa, but is disappointed upon reaching his destination. Vasavadatta is played by Uthara Unni, daughter of the noted actress Urmila Unni. Manisha plays the wife of an estate manager and Vasavadatta’s mother.
Lama makes his return to the Malayalam film circle after 22 years. “Everyone on the set has helped me with the language,” he says. He also expressed his desire to work with Mohanlal again.
The shooting took place in the beautiful locations of Bylacopa, Hampi, Madikeri, Kulu-Manali and Thiruvananthapuram that have been captured by cinematographer Madhu Ambat. “I am interested in capturing the internal, rather than the external reality through the help of shadows and lighting,” said Madhu, who has worked with Manisha twice before.
Manisha, who is set to launch a book at the Delhi Book Festival, is also actively involved in social activities. “I did an awareness campaign in Delhi where I had the privilege to talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and preventive methods (to adverse living conditions),” she said.
“Life is a gift and we must honour that. I did not give much value to it until a few years ago, before I was diagnosed with cancer,” she said. Manisha also said that equality and spirituality are the only answers to the war and chaos that the world is facing.
Actor Prakash, Producers Dr Santhosh Kumar and Ravishankar also participated in the press conference. The film is expected to release in January 2016.