Manisha Koirala doesn’t see easy kingship for Gyanendra

Pradeep Kaushal

New Delhi, June 21: FILM star Manisha Koirala does not foresee an easy kingship for King Gyanendra. ‘‘It would take the Nepalese a long time to digest anyone else in the shoes of their King Birendra,’’ she told The Indian Express in an interview here today.

Manisha, who hails from the Koirala family, which has given two prime ministers to Nepal, said the situation in her country was very tense. “It would take the people some time to get over the loss.’’ When asked about the acceptability of the new King, she said it was difficult for the Nepalese to accept anybody else. However, he could pull through with patience and endurance.She said the people of Nepal had immense faith in the monarchy and ultimately, things would fall in place.

When asked if she believed that Crown Prince Dipendra carried out the killings, she said it did not appear to be something ‘‘as clean as this’’, but there was no choice when everybody was talking about it. ‘‘There are no options left when even an inquiry report says so,’’ she said. She said it was hard to believe that Dipendra could do it when he could have easily followed the example of his uncle, Dhirendra, who gave up his royal title to marry a girl of his choice.She felt particularly sorry for Devyani.

Recalling the late King, she said his popularity had been on an upswing ever since he introduced democracy. ‘‘He was kind and compassionate apart from being the sole stabilising factor in the country.’’She said she wanted to go to Kathmandu after the killings but the mass unrest, which followed, held her back. ‘‘Now I don’t know who to go to, whom to console,’’ she said.

When asked if Dipendra, ever had a crush on her, she said, ‘‘No. We, have a very rigid caste system.... He was a prince and I come from a family of revolutionaries.’’ ‘‘Does this mean that you would marry only a Nepalese Brahmin?’’ She said: ‘‘I am a black sheep. The Koiralas are known for this.’’