Manisha Koirala to headline Cowgirls and Indians

Manisha Koirala, who was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series Heeramandi, will reportedly be seen next in a Hollywood indie production, titled Cowgirls & Indians. Written and directed by Tejal Desai, the film will go on the shooting floors in November this year in Austin, Texas.

According to a Variety report, Cowboys & Indians is a reworking and a feature film expansion of her award-winning short film Cowboys and Hindus. The film is reportedly a coming-of-age story about Asha, a middle-aged Indian woman, discovering who she is in the American Southwest, also following her journey of navigating unlikely friendships against a Texas backdrop, centering on cultural displacement and resilience as South Asian heritage meets American grit.

Talking about casting the Heeramandi actor in the film, Tejal Desai said in the Variety report, “Manisha Koirala’s performances have always carried an intense realism, vulnerability, and strength. From Dil Se to Heeramandi, she’s built a career on stillness and expressive eyes that say more about complex emotions. Beyond the performance itself, Manisha carries a rare gravity – an actress who has weathered real hardship and emerged with more resilience.”

Tejal has previously worked as writer on the TV Movie A Tale of Two Coreys, which released in 2018. Tejal is also working on another short film Dad’s Final Wish, which is completed but yet to be released.

Incidentally, Manisha Koirala completes 35 years in the film industry this year. She began her acting career with the 1991 blockbuster, gradually building her credibility as a performer with films like Bombay (1995), Khamoshi (1996), Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995) and Dil Se (1998).

1942: A Love Story, one of Manisha Koirala’s earlier consolidatory works had a grand theatrical re-release recently.