Isha Koppikar: Today, an actress’ pregnancy is celebrated and not frowned upon – #BigInterview | Hindi Movie News

Popularly known as Bollywood’s ‘Khallas girl’, Isha Koppikar Narang has very successfully carved a niche for herself in the film industry with her choices of films and performances. From sizzling in a song in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Company’ to playing the love interest of Bollywood’s ‘King Khan’ Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Don’ to essaying the role of a gangster in ‘Shabri’- she has done it all. Now, the actress is all set to play a politician in ‘Love You Loktantra’ and a banker in her upcoming web series ‘Suranga’ which is based on a bank heist.

In a freewheeling chat with ETimes, Esha spilled the tea on her upcoming projects, her opinion on actresses embracing motherhood at the peak of their career, being a mother and a wife at home, a co-star she can’t wait to reunite with and more. Excerpts…

Actresses today, as young as Alia Bhatt are embracing motherhood at the peak of their career. This was not the case some years ago when getting married and having kids meant the end of an actress’ career. How do you look at this change as an actor today?


A lot has changed in this decade, and now the taboo around an actress’ motherhood has been lifted. We have many great inspirations who have proved that you can get your body back in shape after delivering a child. I am delighted to hear that Alia Bhatt is embracing motherhood at this point of her career. It is basically her choice and we must respect that. Also, now, pregnancies among actresses are celebrated and not frowned upon, and that is the good news. I welcome this change as an actor.

You have always been vocal about your experiences in the industry so far, both good and bad. What advice would you like to give to budding actors who aspire to make it big?


It is very important to be diligent and focused about what you want in life. There are lots of ups and downs but that’s what life is all about. One has to go with the flow. You have to have a positive attitude. You need to be determined, you have to work hard, and you need to anchor yourself. That can be achieved only by working hard. You have to be spiritually strong. You have to believe in God and have good family support, so that whenever you feel disillusioned there will be someone to hold you and divert you from that situation.

Did you ever feel your success was hindered due to the ‘first mover advantage’ associated with actors who come from film families? Is a complete outsider like yourself, at a disadvantage?


Yes, of course! There is favouritism and nepotism in every field and Bollywood is no different. For example, tomorrow if my daughter wants to get into the industry, I will definitely try my best to help her. At the end of the day, it is the talent of the child that will make him/her successful. So that initial push for momentum can be given by the parents but after that it completely depends on the child. It is all about how they take it forward.

Do you regret taking up any roles in your career?


Well, I don’t regret anything. I feel overwhelmed and satisfied about doing any role in my career. No regrets!

Everyone knows about Isha Koppikar as an actress. How are you as a mother and a wife at home?


As a mother, I am neither too strict nor too soft as I believe that the child should have the freedom to grow in his/her creativity, while staying within the norms of discipline. I try not to micromanage tasks for my daughter, as this teaches her independence and individuality. I pay extreme attention towards family values and every child in the family is brought up with values embedded in their hearts. Children learn mostly from observation, so it is my responsibility to depict and portray myself in a manner where my daughter will learn all the traits of living a healthy and beautiful life.

Timmy is protective, not possessive. I am not possessive either. Timmy is very comfortable in his own skin. He is not somebody who feels threatened by anyone. I always wanted somebody like that. I love my space, and he loves his space. I am blessed to have him in my life.

From amongst all the actors you have worked with so far, who has been an absolute delight?


If there’s one co-star with whom I have shared a complete comfort zone on screen and off screen, and I have always been vocal about this, it has to be Shah Rukh Khan. He is a thorough gentleman and has an unparalleled sense of humor. He is an extremely giving actor. Of course, I would love to work with him again and again on screen.

Tell us something about your latest film ‘Love You Loktantra’. What attracted you to the character in the film?


‘Love You Loktantra’ is a political satire. It is a light hearted movie. I am playing the role of a politician. In fact, Gulab Didi is a very strong and ruthless politician. She does not see anything except her politics, power and work. The entire movie is a political satire based on the fight between two Chief Ministers. The comic elements in the movie are sure to crack you up. Whatever is happening in today’s politics, you will get to see it in our film. This is the USP of the film.

How did you prepare for your role as a politician? Did you take inspiration from anyone for your look or for the body language of your character?


This character of Gulab didi is not inspired by any real life politician because it is a fictional character. For example, Kangana Ranaut playing Indira Gandhi is different from what I have played in ‘Love You Loktantra’. For The character of Gulab didi, I had to gain a few kilos for my role. Gaining weight was scary for me, because you know how hard we actresses go to lose weight and stay fit. I had lost a lot of weight during the first lockdown, but when the shooting of this film started a year and a half ago today, I lost weight in one lockdown and increased in the other.

Your character has shades of grey in it. How was it to experience the other side?


Yes, it has grey shades. Of course, as I said earlier, it was different from my actual personality. I have done roles like ‘Shabri’ and ‘Chandni’ in ‘Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi’. These two characters were different from each other. Recently, I played a cop role in the series ‘Dhahanam’. So, yes, as an actor, I feel overwhelmed while playing different characters, be it negative or positive. I love taking up challenges.

You are also a part of the multilingual film, ‘Alien’. How was your experience working with Rakul Preet Singh and Sharad Kelkar?


That’s the film that I am doing down South. I don’t have too many scenes with Rakul Preet but, yes she, Sharad Kelkar and Sivakarthikeyan are my co-stars in the film. It is a science fiction film. It is actually a one-of-its-kind concept. We have seen a lot of Alien movies, which have been shot with a lot of prosthetics and makeup, but in this movie we will be seeing a lot of graphics and CGI effects. It was a great experience. We shot the film in about 100 days.

Tell us something about your upcoming web series ‘Suranga’.


‘Suranga’ is an investigative drama series based on a bank heist. I am playing a banker. The character I play, Dakshiyani, is again very unique. I can’t reveal much about the character. All I can say is that she is an employee in the bank. The story revolves around heists and different characters in the bank. It has been shot in Haryana.