Isha Koppikar is back to Tamil cinema after two decades. Last seen in Vijayakanth’s Narasimha (2001), and popular for her outings in En Swasa Kaatre and Nenjinile , she will soon be seen in Sivakarthikeyan’s Ayalaan. MetroPlus had a quick chat with Isha, who’s shooting in the city. Excerpts:
You are back after 20 years. How does that feel?
People are asking me, ‘You look just the same. Do you live in a refrigerator?’ Chennai has always been loving and kind to me, and I’m just very happy to be back here.
You seem to have a strong role in ‘Ayalaan’, your comeback film that stars Sivakarthikeyan. Why did you choose that?
Since 2015, I did a few films in the south, including Kavacha and Keshava. I’ve never really stopped working — it’s just that I’ve been doing a whole lot of other things like running my hospitality business and taking care of my family. I was selective about what I wanted to do — the intention was to do something heartfelt. Ayalaan fit in that scheme of things; I felt that when director Ravikumar came to me with this action script. I love strong female leads, and Ayalaan casts me as Eliza, who is almost like a killing machine, and I’m glad to be part of this Sivakarthikeyan-starrer.
You recently spoke about how you like doing cop roles that offer various dimensions. How do you bring about a difference in the many cop roles you take up?
Crime is different in films, and that brings about the change in emotion. The thinking of a cop is the same — that he should nab the perpetrator — but the graph is different. The challenge is how you can differentiate among the characters. For that, I sit with my directors and work out a character plan. I’ve played a cop in Fixer, Keshavaand Kavacha and will be playing one in Ram Gopal Varma’s untitled web series as well.
Do you believe that cops have been represented in a fair way on the big screen?
Yes, we try to make it as real as possible, especially if it has been based on a real life character.
- Toughest part about being a mother
- To not show failure in front of your children, and somehow put up a strong front.
- Post retirement plans
- I don’t think I’ll ever retire. I’ll take my work to the grave.
- Dream travel destination
- The moon. I’d love to go there someday.
Aren’t OTT platforms such a boon?
It’s much more accessible since it’s available on your phone. We see a lot of actors and filmmakers switching over to the platform. I’m a big fan of Narcos and MarcoPolo.
