Isha Koppikar Narang made heads turn with her debut song Khallas in the 2002 film Company. Since then, she has created a mark in a couple of films, however, Isha couldn’t get the desired fame in the film industry. The actor has been away from the big screen for quite some time, however, she has been working on a couple of OTT projects. In a chat with ETimes, Isha shared that she comes from a family of doctors, and pursued modeling for pocket money, when she was in college. Fitting the description of the quintessential ‘outsider’, Isha has had her encounter with nepotism and the casting couch in the film industry.
Isha recalled that, in mid-2000, she was called by a renowned producer who asked her to be in the good books of the hero. She didn’t understand what the producer meant to say, so she called up the hero, and he asked her to meet him alone. “I didn’t know what he meant. So, I called up the hero, who asked me to meet him alone. At that point, he was being accused of infidelity, so he asked me to visit him minus my staff,” she told the publication. She added, “I called the producer and told him that I am here due to my talent and looks and if that can get me good work, then it’s good enough.” The result was that she was “thrown out of the film.”
Isha stated that she never made compromises in her career, hence, she had to settle for smaller or supporting roles. The actor believes that no one can force you unless you are willing to do something. “It’s totally up to you whether you want to become a part of a film on your talent or something else,” she said.
Isha also mentioned that female actors, nowadays, don’t come with a shelf life, provided they are talented. Isha expressed that she is amazed at how the film industry has changed, since her debut 20 years ago.
