Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala is known for her brilliant acting in many critically acclaimed movies. Nepali Born Manisha also won many awards for her roles, but not many of us are aware that she wasn't the first choice for many films that we know her for. Here are some films for which Manisha Koirala wasn't the first choice:

Khamoshi: The Musical

Released in 1996 and Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Khamoshi: The Musical won several awards that year. Manisha Koirala was nominated for Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1996, however she lost to Karishma Kapoor who walked away with the Best actress award for Raja Hindustani. Manisha Koirala, however won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for Khamoshi: The Musical.  Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to cast Madhuri Dixit to play the lead role. After Madhuri, he had even thought of casting Kareena Kapoor. But Kareena was not prepared to make her acting debut at that time. The role eventually went to Manisha Koirala who walked away with many awards for her role.

Lajja

Manisha Koirala wasn't the first choice for Lajja. Tabu, Karisma Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai were offered Madhuri and Manisha's role in the film, but all of them declined to be a part of the movie. Though Manisha did not win any award for the movie, Madhuri Dixit walked away with the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2001.

Kachche Dhaage

Kachche Dhaage was known for its action sequences and songs. Manisha Koirala and Namrata Shirodkar played the female leads in the film. Manisha was not the first choice for this film too. Mayuri Kango had initially been roped in to play Manisha’s part, but was later replaced by Manisha Koirala.