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, Keshava and 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.