Manisha was born in the Nepali Koirala family on August 16, 1970. Her dad, B.P. Koirala, was Nepal’s Prime Minister before her birth, while two of her paternal grandfather’s brothers, Girja Prasad Koirala, and M.P. Koirala were also Nepali Prime Ministers during the 1990s.

Manisha grew up with her paternal grandmother in Varanasi, India. She studied in Vasant Kanya Mahavidhyalay. Then she re-located to New Delhi and was enrolled in Army Public School. After completing her school, Manisha had planned to study medicine and become a doctor.

Instead of becoming a doctor, fate led her to modeling, and then onto the tinsel screen in Nepal in a 1989 movie ‘Pheri Betaula’. She then re-located to Bombay and debuted in a Bollywood movie titled ‘First Love Letter’ which was released in 1991.

Manisha is engaged to Christpin Conroy, the Australian ambassador to Nepal

Manisha Koirala made her debut as an actress in a Nepali movie Pheri Bhetaula (1989). Her debut in Bollywood was with the hit Saudagar (1991) about two lovers caught in a family feud. Her role as Rajjo opposite Anil Kapoor in 1942: A Love Story (1994) was again a critical and commercial success.

In 1995, she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for her role in Bombay (1995). She played a Muslim woman who marries a Hindu man and they get caught in the communal riots in Mumbai. In Akele Hum Akele Tum(1995) she played a woman who is forced to choose between her husband and her career.

Her release in 2002, Ek Choti Si Love Story got caught up in a lot of controversy as Manisha Koirala accused the director of using a body double without her permission. She continued to experiment as an actress and was seen in Escape from Taliban (2003) which was based on a true story.

After studying film making in New York, she directed the movie Paisa Vasool (2004) in which she starred along with Sushmita Sen. The movie had an average run. She did not have any major hits. Some of her movies were Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005), Anwar (2007), Sirf (2008) and Khela (2008).

In 2009, she has appeared in Partho Ghosh’s Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De with Jackie Shroff and Farah Khan’s Happy New Year.

Films Done By Manisha Koriala

1989 Pheri Bhetaula Unknown Nepali
1991 Saudagar Radha Hindi
1991 First Love Letter Radha Singh Hindi
1992 Yalgaar Meghna Kumar Hindi
1993 Insaaniyat Ke Devta Nisha Hindi
1993 Anmol Anmol Hindi
1993 Dhanwan Imli Hindi
1994 Yun Hi Kabhi Pooja Hindi
1995 Bombay Shaila Banu Tamil Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Tamil)
1995 Anokha Andaz Reema Hindi
1995 Guddu Salina Gupta Hindi
1995 Ram Shastra Anjali Sinha Hindi
1995 Akele Hum Akele Tum Kiran Kumar Hindi Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1997 Gupt: The Hidden Truth Sheetal Choudhry Hindi
1997 Dil Ke Jharokhe Mein Suman Hindi
1998 Yugpurush Sunita Hindi
1998 Salaakhen Item number Hindi
1998 Achanak Pooja Hindi
1998 Dil Se.. Meghna Hindi Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1998 Maharaja Shaili Mathur Hindi
1999 Kachche Dhaage Rukhsana Hindi
1999 Lal Baadshah Kiran Hindi
1999 Laawaris Anshu Mehra Hindi
1999 Jai Hind Sheetal Hindi
1999 Mudhalvan Thenmozhi Tamil
1999 Kartoos Manpreet “Mini” Kaur Hindi
1999 Mann Priya Verma Hindi
1999 Hindustan Ki Kasam Roshanaara Hindi
2000 Khauff Neha Hindi
2000 Baaghi Rani Hindi
2000 Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya Manisha Hindi
2000 Champion Sapna Khanna Hindi
2001 Grahan Parvati Shastri Hindi
2001 Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller Nisha Hindi
2001 Lajja Vaidehi Hindi
2001 Aalavandhan Sharmilee Tamil Simultaneously shot and released in Hindi as Abhay
2001 Moksha Ritika Sanyal Hindi
2002 Company Saroja Hindi Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
2002 Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani Vasundhara Divya Hindi
2002 Ek Chotisi Love Story The Woman Hindi
2002 Baba Chamundeswari Tamil
2003 Escape from Taliban Sushmita Bannerjee/Sayed Kamal Hindi
2003 Calcutta Mail Sanjana Hindi
2003 Market Muskaan Bano Hindi
2004 Paisa Vasool Maria Hindi Also producer
2004 Tum – A Dangerous Obsession Kamini Hindi
2005 Chaahat – Ek Nasha Mallika Arora Hindi
2005 Mumbai Xpress Ahalya Tamil Simultaneously shot and released in Hindi in the same title
2005 Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story Jahan Ara Hindi
2005 Anjaane – The Unknown Shivani Hindi
2006 Darwaza Bandh Rakho Julie Hindi
2007 Anwar Anita Hindi
2008 Tulsi Tulsi Hindi
2008 Nagaram Item number Telugu
2008 Sirf….Life Looks Greener on the Other Side Devika Hindi
2008 Mehbooba Varsha/Payal Hindi
2008 Khela Sheela Bengali
2009 Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish Juhi Hindi
2010 Ek Second… Jo Zindagi Badal De Rashi Hindi
2010 Dharmaa Gauri Nepali
2010 Elektra Diana Malayalam
2011 Mappillai Rajeswari Tamil Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress (Tamil)
2011 I Am Rubaina Hindi
2012 Bhoot Returns Namrata Hindi
2015 Chehere: A Modern Day Classic Tarana Hindi
2016 Game Maya Kannada / Tamil Tamil version titled Oru Melliya Kodu
2016 Edavappathy Sumithra/Mathangi Malayalam
2017 Dear Maya Maya Devi Hindi
2018 Lust Stories Reena Hindi Anthology film
2018 Sanju Nargis Hindi
2019 Prassthanam Sukmini Pratap Singh Hindi
2020 Maska Diana Irani Hindi
2020Films that have not yet been released 99 Songs TBA Hindi Post-production

Television Done By Manisha Koriala

2000 Sawaal Dus Crore Ka Co-host
2003 Larger Than Life Herself Documentary
2015 Femina Miss India 2015 Judge