Mahakumbh Girl Monalisa Wraps Up ‘The Diary of Manipur’ Shoot, Returns to Prayagraj Fair

Monalisa, who became the talk of the town during the Mahakumbh with millions of devotees in attendance, has completed shooting for director Sanoj Mishra’s film ‘The Diary of Manipur’. In the movie, she will be seen alongside Amit Rao, brother of actor Rajkummar Rao.

Monalisa first grabbed headlines at the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, where her striking presence among devotees sparked widespread attention. Her beauty and charisma caught the eye of filmmaker Sanoj Mishra, who offered her a lead role in his upcoming film. After completing the shoot, Monalisa is now returning to Prayagraj for the ongoing Magh Mela, but this time, not as a vendor of garlands, but as a Bollywood actress.

The filmmaker, known for movies like ‘Gandhigiri’ (2016) and ‘Shashank’ (2023), had spotted Monalisa at the Mahakumbh and was concerned about the way people crowded her for reels and selfies. “When I saw Monalisa at the fair, I felt bad that she was being harassed for videos and selfies. She comes from the Banjara (nomadic) community of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh and is a very simple person. That’s why I decided to cast her in the lead role,” said Mishra.

Film Shoot Details:
The shooting for ‘The Diary of Manipur’ was completed in four schedules, starting in Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), followed by Manipur, and then in Nepal. The majority of the remaining shoot was wrapped up in Dehradun, with the film’s principal photography concluding last week.

Before being cast in the film, Monalisa underwent extensive training in Indore and Mumbai to prepare for her role, as she was not formally educated and initially could not even write her own name. Mishra also guided her through her previous music videos and two South Indian films to develop her acting skills.

Despite facing challenges with language and pronunciation, Monalisa’s performance has been praised. The filmmakers used dubbing for her dialogues, but her acting abilities have been lauded as fully convincing.

About the Film:
‘The Diary of Manipur’ is set against the backdrop of Manipur and tells a story of love amidst violence and conflict. Monalisa portrays a North Indian girl, bringing freshness and authenticity to the narrative.

With her film shoot complete, Monalisa and the team are visiting the Magh Mela this week to seek the blessings of the Ganga, marking her return to Prayagraj nearly a year after her first notable appearance at the Mahakumbh.