Manisha Koirala believes that ageism is a big issue in the entertainment world, especially for women who often face criticism and trolling about their age. In a recent chat, she mentioned that many people assume she’s too old to take on certain roles. Also, check this out: Manisha Koirala teased about having a special someone in her life, saying, "Who said I don’t have one?"

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In a chat with Free Press Journal, Manisha opened up about the challenges women still face in the film industry.

She mentioned, “Aging is a big deal for women, whether in the industry or not. We get shamed for it. I’ve never seen a troll call out a man for getting older, but women face a lot of backlash. It’s like there’s this stigma around age. Ageism hits women way harder than it does men. I was left out of a roundtable discussion by a certain group, and they said it was because it was focused on a specific age group. I asked them, ‘If a male colleague in the same age range was involved, would he have been excluded too?’ Of course not. I’ve noticed this happen in at least two or three roundtable discussions where I was sidelined because of ageism. It definitely affects us. Suddenly, they don’t want older male co-stars, but older actresses? That’s a different story.”

The 54-year-old actress also addressed some common misconceptions about women artists in their 50s.

Manisha stated, “We need to be role models to show the world—and ourselves—that after 50, we can still shine. We can lead amazing lives, excel in our careers, and enjoy a happy, fulfilling, and healthy existence. As long as I’m here, I want to keep working and stay healthy. Looking good is part of my mantra. Many people think, ‘She’s old now, what can she do?’ or ‘Let’s just cast her as a mother or sister.’ But women can take on powerful roles. They can be fierce and full of life. Many actresses before me have done it, and I want to do the same. I still have that passion and drive. Age is just a number—50 is just a number. It won’t hold me back, and it shouldn’t hold anyone else back either.”

Manisha's professional journey

Manisha kicked off her acting career with the Nepali romantic-drama Pheri Bhetaula. She made her Bollywood entrance in Subhash Ghai's Saudagar back in 1991 and really started to shine with films like 1942: A Love Story (1994), Bombay (1995), Agni Sakshi (1996), Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), Dil Se.. (1998), and Company (2002).

After taking a long break, she made a return to the screen in the anthology film Lust Stories (2018), specifically in a segment directed by Dibakar Banerjee. Most recently, she appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024), where she portrayed a courtesan named Mallikajaan. The series explores the lives of courtesans and their struggles for power against Nawabs and British officials in the Heera Mandi red-light district of Lahore (now in Pakistan) during the pre-partition period. Excitingly, the Netflix show has already been picked up for a second season.

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