'Manorama could be funny and she could be evil'

Manorama may have been broken when she passed into the ages on February 15, 2008, but in her prime years, she was a force to reckon with.

Vicious, farcically cartoonish and hugely entertaining, she still has a fan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

"She was a meme even before memes were invented," Bhansali tells Subhash K Jha.

"She had an astonishing range and screen presence. Whenever she shows up in Seeta Aur Geeta, my heart jumps in joy. She was born for the camera and so hugely entertaining on screen.

"Manoramaji gave an all-new definition to the art of vamping. She could be funny and she could be evil, sometimes both at the same time. I wish I had worked with her; she was definitely my kind of actor."

Deepa Mehta, who directed Manorama in her final film Water, is delighted to remember the actress: "How lovely to be reminded of Manoramaji! Brings such warmth on a freezing Toronto night."

"I loved working with her on Water Of course, I had been a fan of the actor who had coined the enigmatic term 'comic tyrant actor'," she adds.

Deepa recalls her wonderful performances: "I had been a fan of her unique brand of work after seeing her first film in Dus Lakh. It was seeing her fab timing in Seeta Aur Geeta that stayed with me and resulted in working with her in Water."

"A memorable experience indeed. She was Uber-smart. Meticulous in her timing and had no qualms shaving her head and embracing the role of the tyrant widow in Water."

Deepa stayed in touch with Manorama.

"My partner David and I became close to her and whenever we got to Mumbai, we would make it a point to visit her, armed wth her favourite Black Dog whiskey!"

"I loved her honesty, sense of humour, her desire to always push herself, her immaculate timing and her ability to always surprise me -- a different performance for each take," adds Deepa.

"Manoramaji continues to be a high point for me in Water."