Manisha Koirala was recently seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Netflix's Heeramandi: The Diamond Baazar. Recently, the 90s actress opened up about her struggles and challenges from that era of Bollywood. Talking to Filmfare about her experience with photographers and men from that time, Manisha opened up about being scolded by senior photographers for refusing to wear a bikini. 

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As a female actor, Manisha opened up about her experience in the 90s and said, “Very early on in my career I was asked to go and take photographs, and there was this very famous photographer. I went with my mom, and initially, that photographer said things like, ‘You are the next superstar and this and that.’ Cut to him bringing a two-piece bikini to me and asking me to wear it. I told him, ‘Sir, I wear this when I go to the beach or for a swim, but if this is the way I have to get into the movies, I don’t want it, and I am not wearing that.'"

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She added, "I told him either you shoot me fully clothed otherwise I am… ‘ I remember he gave me a big dialogue. He said, ‘Jo mitti pighalne se sharmati ho uske murti kaise banaye (The clay that refuses to melt, how do I make a statue from it)’. I have not forgotten that. That's how the mentality was of some of the people, not everybody. The same person did photograph me when I was a big celebrity and said, “Oh, I knew you were going to be a big star. Not to be mean to the person, but their conscience level was that. Their exposure was that, so they behaved like that.”