When Manisha Koirala Was Told Not To Sign Mani Ratnam's Bombay

New Delhi: Manisha Koirala, who is awaiting the release of Sanju on Friday, recently revealed that she was told not to sign Mani Ratnam's Bombay because she had to play the role of a mother when she was still in her 20s, reports news agency PTI. "When I was offered Bombay, people told me not to do it because I was playing a mother's role in my 20s and they thought in the next 10 years I'd be getting grandmother roles. But I listened to the other, wiser people who told me it'll be foolish to refuse a Mani Ratnam film. I am glad it helped me in the bargain," she said.

Bombay released a year after 1942: A Love Story and both films are considered Manisha's breakthrough films, which really put her on the list of the top crop actress of the Nineties.

Manisha Koirala, now 47, plays the role of Ranbir Kapoor's mother on screen in Sanju, which is the story of actor Sanjay Dutt's life. Interestingly, Manisha Koirala and Sanjay Dutt co-starred in 1992 film Yalgaar and they are teaming up again for the remake of Telugu film Prasthaanam.

Manisha Koirala, who battled cancer, was recently seen in Dibakar Banerjee's segment of web-film Lust Stories. Manisha Koirala told PTI that she doesn't want to overwork herself. "We are in a profession of 'out of sight out of mind', so one tends to be all the time on a roll. I had those tendencies initially in my career. Now I'm mindful about not getting into that space. When you're in your 20s, you've more energy and zeal. But in your 40s, you want to take it at a slower pace. Your world view changes, you become a different person."

In Sanju, Manisha Koirala plays the role of Nargis Dutt. The Rajkumar Hirani-directed film opens in theatres on June 29.

(With inputs from PTI)