Manisha Koirala reveals why she did not reunite with Shah Rukh Khan after Dil Se: ‘The heroes decide...’

It's been 26 years since Dil Se graced the Indian cinema screens in 1998. The film, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, is considered one of the cult classics in India due to its engaging storyline. A R Rahman’s soulful melodies still give us goosebumps, especially the ‘Dil Se Re’ title track, among all the other songs. Now, after two long decades, lead actress Manisha Koirala revealed why she did not collaborate with Shah Rukh Khan after Dil Se.

Manisha Koirala on not working with Shah Rukh Khan

While speaking about her collaborations, Manisha revealed that it's not the actress’s choice with whom she will work in her films, rather it's always the main lead actors who get the privilege. Hence, there were no collaborations between her and SRK after Dil Se. “In this industry, the heroes decide whom they want to work with, not the heroines,” she stated.

Koirala, who recently was seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi and garnered immense appreciation, had an interview with Zoom recently. Among several topics, she also talked about her collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. She reminded us that before Dil Se, she did a film titled Guddu with SRK in 1995, which did not do well at the box office, and has been forgotten by the audience.

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Films that made Manisha Koirala proud

The actress takes great pride in her collaborations with directors like Mani Ratnam for Dil Se, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Heeramandi (2024). These are one of the most cherished works of hers. According to her, these projects showcased her ability to delve deeper into complex characters and deliver emotional performances that resonated with the audience and left an indelible mark.

Mani Ratnam’s on Dil Se’s failure

Although Dil Se is considered a cult classic musical drama in Indian cinema, the film failed at the box office back in 1998. While talking about this failure, director Mani Ratnam explained that his Hindi was not great at that time. Hence, he had to rely on his actors to help get the scenes right, and that was a major issue while shooting the film, and it did not go well.

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