Manisha Koirala recalls being immersed in water for 12 hours during this scene in Heeramandi: 'I was beyond exhaustion'

Manisha Koirala plays Mallikajaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi. She revealed the grueling conditions in which she shot for the series.

Manisha Koirala is being praised for her performance in Heeramandi. The actor's portrayal of a courtesan was lauded despite the film's mixed reviews and criticism on factual inaccuracies. Manisha, in her recent Instagram post revealed how she shot for the ‘most challenging’ scene in the show. (Also read: Manisha Koirala says she's made peace with not becoming a mother: It was tough after ovarian cancer)

Manisha Koirala revealed about her most challenging scene in Heeramandi.

Manisha reveals being exhausted after fountain scene

Manisha went on to describe the fountain sequence which took around 12 hours to shoot. She shared how she was exhausted during the shoot.

Adding pictures from the scenes in the new post, she wrote, “The fountain sequence proved the most physically challenging. It required me to be immersed in a water fountain for over 12 hours. That tested my resilience! Even though Sanjay had thoughtfully ensured that the water was warm and clean, over the hours, the water turned muddy, (because my team members, the Cinematographer, and the art director’s team were getting into the water to work around the scene.) Every single pore in my body was soaked in that muddy water. Even though I was beyond exhaustion by the end of the shoot, I felt a deep happiness within my heart. My body had taken the stress and remained resilient. I knew I had passed a critical physical test.”

She further continued, “To you, who think your time has come and gone, whether it’s due to age, illness or any setback, never give up! You never know what could be waiting for you around the bend!”

About Heeramandi

Manisha essays the role of courtesan Mallikajaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epic show. The backdrop of the show is the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore (now in present-day Pakistan) during pre partition India. The story showcases how the courtesans and Nawabs were affected by the Indian independence movement in the British Raj era. The revolution against colonial powers in the 1920s-40s is depicted in the series. Apart from Manisha, Heeramandi also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Farida Jalal, Shekhar Suman, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman and Shruti Sharma in crucial characters.

Heeramandi is available for streaming on Netflix.