'You Can Be Ice Cold Evil'

'You don't have to be screaming and making faces to be evil.'

“The experiences of life contribute to a performance. I have a bank of emotions now and understand life much more deeply now,”

“I see through people. The complexities of human behaviour are more comprehensible to me. There is an empathy I feel to everything around me. Of course, with time, life’s pain and suffering, I think I’ve become a better person.

“But it doesn’t always work that way. A lot of people become bitter rather than better after suffering. I don’t want to be bitter, resentful or vengeful.

“From a young age, it has been my constant effort to not hurt anyone. I wish I had been careful about not hurting myself. It has been a conscious effort for me to retain my innocence and vulnerability. I don’t want to be a person who knows it all.”

Manisha’s Mallikajaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is fetching rave reviews.

Their association goes back a long way.

“I first met him (Bhansali) during the shooting of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1942: A Love Story. Then he directed Khamoshi. Honestly, I am in awe of the man. He has evolved a lot. He makes grandeur look so cool. Not too many people talk about Khamoshi now, but the same subject was made in Hollywood two years ago (Sian Heder’s CODA) and that film got an Oscar.

“Khamoshi is very special. It is sensitive and poetic. Every character -- Helenji, Seema Biswasji, Nana Patekar, Salman and me -- were so beautifully written. He created a beautiful world in Khamoshi.

“Heeramandi has so much also make a lavish Heeramandi. His range is staggering.”

Manisha admits that she has evolved over the years.

“I have changed a lot. I am no longer what I was. When I was younger, I was more impulsive. I was very instinctive in my acting. It was almost like God was guiding me to do what the director wanted without me working hard. It didn’t feel like I was putting in too much preparation.