'Dil Se' fans shocked! Manisha Koirala reveals alternate ending

Mumbai: Actress Manisha Koirala recently shared behind-the-scenes details about her iconic role in 'Dil Se', starring alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the 1998 Mani Ratnam classic. The film, set against the insurgency backdrop in Assam, saw Manisha portraying a complex character—a female terrorist and suicide bomber.

While audiences remember the tragic ending, Manisha revealed in a recent interview that the original ending of 'Dil Se' was quite different from what eventually made it to the screen.

Manisha, reflecting on her journey with 'Dil Se', shared that the role originally came to her after another project with Ram Gopal Verma fell through.

"They had other people in mind initially, and it came to me later," she said.

Taking on the role of a terrorist wasn’t typical for her at the time, but that’s precisely what attracted her.

"As an artist, I wanted to explore areas I had never explored. Mani Ratnam specifically told me he didn’t want the character to feel stereotypical. She was to appear like a normal girl, but with pain and anger beyond reason," Manisha shared.

For Manisha, it was an exciting challenge to portray a darker, more intense character.

"Playing a negative character gave me a chance to explore a side that I hadn’t shown on screen before," she added.

The original ending vs the final cut

Manisha also shared an interesting twist: the ending initially planned for 'Dil Se' was more aligned with the grim realities of their characters' journeys rather than romance.

"In the original version, Shah Rukh’s character was supposed to let my character die. This was a mutual understanding we all had," she revealed.

But just before filming wrapped, the team decided to shift the tone, crafting a different ending that highlighted an intense sacrifice for love.

The final version aimed to show Shah Rukh Khan's character, Amar, as so deeply in love that he couldn’t let her live without him or allow her to complete her mission. The resulting scene depicts Amar trying to stop her, ultimately leading to both their deaths.

"They wanted to portray his love as a sacrifice. However, in the original, there was no possibility of them being together. I preferred that version because unrequited love sometimes has a greater impact than a fulfilled love story," she added.

On the work front Manisha was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 'Heeramandi', where her portrayal of Mallikajaan received high praise.