‘Cancer became a metaphor for all that was wrong in my life’: Manisha Koirala on her new book | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express

‘Cancer became a metaphor for all that was wrong in my life’: Manisha Koirala on her new book | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express

Written by Ishita Sengupta |Delhi |Updated: December 30, 2018 1:48:52 pm

‘Cancer became a metaphor for all that was wrong in my life’: Manisha Koirala on her new book

Over a telephonic conversation, Manisha Koirala told indianexpress.com how cancer became a metaphor for all that was wrong in her life, and how it also triggered self-reflection that ultimately led to a soul-searching journey.

Manisha Koirala, along with Neelam Kumar, has written a deeply personal account of her struggle with cancer in Healed.  (Source: File Photo)

“My book is a result of intense soul-searching. I have plunged deep into the dark, bottomless pit of painful memories and woven a story out of them,” Manisha Koirala writes at the beginning of her book Healed. Over the next 21 chapters, the actor, true to her words, does precisely this. Co-written by Neelam Kumar, Healed is a deeply personal account of the actor’s struggle with cancer and her triumph over it. It is also a heartbreaking portrait of a once-upon-a-time superstar, narrated with disarming honesty.

Over a telephonic conversation, Koirala told indianexpress.com how cancer became a metaphor for all that was wrong in her life, and how that phase also triggered an introspection into her life, leading to revelations that helped her put her life back together.

Excerpts from the interview.

In the acknowledgement of your book, you write, “To you, dear reader. May you realize your limitless human potential and rekindle your inner spirit to face every challenge life throws at you.” Looking back now, do you view cancer as something that rekindled your inner spirit, or was it the challenge life threw at you?

There are a couple of things working here. Cancer definitely rekindled my spirit. It made me realise that every human being has the capacity to overcome a huge setback. Eventually, it depends on us. We can either sit back and think that life has been horrible or take charge of the situation and do what we think is best.