Manisha Koirala (pronounced ; born 16 August 1970) is a Nepalese actress who predominantly works in Indian films. Koirala is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. In 2001, the Government of Nepal awarded her with the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu, the second highest honour of the country.
Born to the politically prominent Koirala family, she is the daughter of Prakash Koirala and granddaughter of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister of Nepal. Initially aspiring to become a doctor, she had a brief stint in modeling, Koirala made her acting debut with the Nepali film Pheri Bhetaula (1989) while studying in school, and later went on to feature in the Hindi drama film Saudagar (1991). Following a series of commercial failures, Koirala established herself as a leading actress with acclaimed patriotic romance 1942: A Love Story (1994) and the Tamil-language romantic drama Bombay (1995), subsequently starring in a series of commercial successes, including the thriller Agni Sakshi (1996), the vigilante action Indian (1996), the suspense thriller Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), the action thriller Kachche Dhaage (1999), the gangster drama Company (2002) and the romance Ek Chhotisi Love Story (2002). She received critical recognition for her portrayal of an ambitious wife in the drama Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), the daughter of deaf-mute parents in the musical romance Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), a terrorist in the romantic thriller Dil Se.. (1998) and a mistreated woman in the drama Lajja (2001).