Isha Koppikar Narang has come a long way since her Khallas-girl days (Company, 2002) and made her mark in several films. However, she has been missing in action of late. BT found out that the actress has been busy working on some OTT projects. “I was never away,” she says, adding, “I worked till the sixth month of my pregnancy and was back on the set three months after delivering Rianna (7).” The actress gives an insight into her life and the changes in the entertainment business. Excerpts from a chat.

The general perception is that Isha has taken a sabbatical due to motherhood, which the actress dismisses. Attributing it to the fact that she has not been seen in a Hindi film for a long time, she elaborates, “It may seem like there’s been a gap in my work because I have not done Hindi films. But I have been busy with a couple of web series and a film, which started in 2019, but got stuck due to the pandemic. All my work will be released back-to-back this year. I may not have been doing quintessential roles, because what’s important for me is the content. It doesn’t make sense for me to step out every day if I don’t get those kinds of roles.”

Isha is amazed by how the film industry has changed for the better since her debut 20 years ago. “The change in the film industry began in the last four years. There is a lot more for actors and actresses to do, including social media engagement,” she says, adding, “Two decades ago, people didn’t know what was happening in our lives beyond what they saw of us on screens. ”

Isha adds, “You could not talk about your relationship and marriage, but things have changed and that’s great.”

She also welcomes the change of attitude towards actresses today. “Earlier, actresses had to pander to their hero and director’s ego, but today’s generation means business. They no longer come with a shelf life, provided they are talented. If it’s only about the way you look, then it won’t work because you are as old as your arteries, eventually. You can regress 15 years, but you can’t expect to be 16 all your life,” says Isha.

Isha, who hails from a family of doctors, started modelling for pocket money while she was in college. Later, she forayed into films with a South movie and made her debut in Bollywood with the song, Khallas. Fitting the description of the quintessential ‘outsider’, she has had her brush with campism, nepotism and casting couch in the film industry.

She shares, “There are camps and nepotism does exist. In the early 2000s, I was supposed to do a big project, but a yesteryear heroine made a few calls and her daughter bagged the part. In mid-2000, I was called by a renowned producer who said that you have to be in the good books of the hero. 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. 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. I was thrown out of the film (laughs!).”

The actress confesses she has lost out on several projects because of her image as a no-nonsense girl. However, she is not apologetic about it. “I am a no-nonsense girl and that’s the vibe I exude. A lot of time people misconstrue it for being intimidating. I am here for my work. If I like you, I will talk to you, if you mess with me, good luck to you. I have lost a lot of projects, because of this attitude of mine,” she says, adding, “I have always lived a disciplined life, and by now, people know how I am. 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.”

Isha rues the fact that she settled for small roles in the initial years of her career in films. She says, “I didn’t compromise, but I had to settle for smaller roles after being promised big parts in films. So, while the filmmakers got a good deal, I got a raw one. It all boils down to bad management and trusting the wrong people. The only film that I got critical praise for was D,in which I was seen in a small part.”

She further adds, “How can one be talented and not get their due? Maybe I am destined for bigger things! If you are persistent, diligent and serious about your work, the universe eventually gives in to a stubborn heart. I really want to be associated with my kind of cinema. I am a warrior at heart and would love to play that on the screen as well.”