It’s been a year since Isha Koppikar started afresh with her daughter, Rianna, following her divorce from businessman Timmy Narang last November. After 14 years of marriage, Isha moved out of the Narang House in Pali Hill, which marked a challenging phase in her life. In an interview with Bombay Times, she talks about new beginnings and moving on with a positive outlook.

Talking about the emotions she went through at the beginning of this phase, Isha says, “There was a lot of fear because I didn’t know how I would restart. I was moving out with my daughter Rianna (10 years old). She has grown up in a certain environment, and I wanted to give her something that would be conducive to her growth. After all, from the time she was born, she lived in a huge home with all the amenities. I didn’t know how to restart, but I had faith in the supreme power. Rianna and I are extremely positive people, and hereon, I know it will only get better.”

Isha’s biggest challenge was to explain to her daughter why they were moving out of the house, but it all went smoothly. And for the 10-year-old, it was just the change of address as the ex-couple is co-parenting her. The actress shares, “I bought this place close to the Narang House because her father and cousins live there. Rianna loves her new house. Timmy comes here regularly to spend time with her. We may have moved on as husband and wife, but we are together as parents for our daughter, and that will never change. Timmy and I are more like friends now. I think relationships improve when you do not expect anything from each other.”

Ask Isha why Timmy and she decided to part ways, and she says, “I really cannot pinpoint what went wrong… we just kind of drifted apart. It was his decision, he said, ‘This is not working out’. And I said, ‘Okay, fine’. Then, we just parted ways. Only mature people can take decisions like these. It is easy to make each other’s life miserable by just hanging in there. It’s tough to move on and take separate paths, but we did what we thought was good for our growth. I believe in live and let live. So, I felt that somewhere, if he wanted to move on, I should step back. If I were in his place, I would have expected the same.”

Isha says that she had certain questions and wanted clarity before calling it quits. “It was easy for me not to give him a divorce, but that would go against my values. We separated amicably. It was very tough for me. I wanted some answers, which I got from the universe. I’m very spiritual. What’s the point of being together and then bickering and fighting constantly? After all, when something stagnates, it stinks… even water. I think life is about flowing freely,” she shares.

What bothered Isha during the phase was when Timmy announced their divorce at a time when she wasn’t ready for it. She was worried about how Rianna would react to it. “It was irresponsible of him because I wanted Rianna to accept it slowly. I wanted to bring it up with her in a different way, but before that, he spoke about it. He later agreed that it was a blunder and apologised for it,” she says.

Isha is now focusing on her work. The actress, who has acted in a few web shows in recent times, says, “Right now, I am only thinking about work. I am back in the game. I have been out there meeting people. For a long time, people didn’t even know that I wanted to work because, unfortunately, in this industry, they think the minute you are married to an industrialist, you don’t want to work. So now, I’m actually going to offices and meeting directors, and I’m getting a fabulous response. I am focused and I will work hard.”

It is almost 20 years since filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma introduced Isha Koppikar as the ‘Khallas girl’ in his 2002 hit film, Company. After dabbling in various south projects and making her web debut with Fixer in 2019, the actor is back with Dhahanam. The MX Player crime thriller, produced by RGV, narrates the story of a son avenging his father’s death. While playing a cop isn’t new for Koppikar, who was seen in the avatar before in  Kya Kool Hain Hum (2005), this one was different.

“My character is a crime controller. She is thrown into a male-dominated heartland where all the perpetrators are hardcore gangsters and Naxalites. It was quite challenging to be there without feeling intimidated,” says Koppikar, who plays IPS officer Anjana Sinha in the series directed by Agasthya Manju.

Koppikar, who has been refusing to take up projects unless it is “in accordance with what I wanted in my career as an actor”, didn’t have to second guess when she got the call from Varma. “He is someone who has the guts to do things that are out of the ordinary. Whenever you get the call, rest assured, the project will always be well thought out and your role will be justified,” says the actor, who reminisces how after Company, she worked with the filmmaker again in Darling (2007) and was surprised to be offered a “role of a demure housewife, which was contrary to my image”. “This is the first time I am playing a cop in an RGV production. I don’t doubt his judgment. He gave me one line from the entire series and [I was hooked],” adds Koppikar.

While the Shabri actor is used to RGV’s style of dark and gritty stories, Koppikar was not mentally prepared to shoot in the difficult terrains that are part of the narrative. “We shot in the interiors and unexplored places of the south. While the sternness and the discipline that a cop exudes came easy to me, it was difficult to adjust to the terrain. We were living, working, and running in places [I have never] been to before,” she says.

Koppikar will next be seen in a political satire, and a film with Sivakarthikeyan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Sharad Kelkar. “It is an Rs. 100 crore multilingual science fiction film. My role is similar to that of a femme fatale like Lara Croft. There will be a tsunami of me this year,” she concludes.

Actor Isha Koppikar Narang believes in finding happiness within. “For me, the concept of being happy starts and ends in one’s own mind. Nothing materialistic or any individual is responsible for your thought process. You have to understand and practise it in regular life, because you could be happy with nothing and sad with everything. If only we could learn to live a simple life,” says the Khallas girl.

Besides Hindi films, the actor has worked in Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil cinema as well. And she enjoys dabbling in different mediums, whether it’s TV, films or OTT.

“Life is such, you have to be on the go and always ready to explore. Being in two minds before switching industries or platforms has never been me — good project with good storyline is and will always be my priority. Like, when OTT stormed in our lives during pandemic, I was already part of shows like White Matter and Fixerr.”

The actor, who plays a cop in Fixerr, has been seen wearing khaki in quite a few of her projects. Point that out and she asserts that it was “unplanned”. “It’s only now, after being tagged as ‘Cop’ikkar (laughs), that I realised it. But then, I have always got some fun tags in the industry; this is one of those that I am proud of. Playing a cop made me understand the tough life of these officers who give their all for our safety. Each such role of mine — be it Fixerr, Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (2005), Keshava (2017), Looty (2018) or Kavacha (2019) — has been diverse in terms of story and execution,” she shares.

She will be soon seen in another web series based on a real-life cop. “You have cinematic liberty when you get to do characters that people don’t know much about, but it’s tough when you play popular ones,” she says.

The actor is thrilled to be back, working with her “mentor” filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma after years. “It’s like a homecoming for me, and Kadappa will surely be one of his best works with me. No one can take way his love for cinema and his amazing understanding of craft,” she concludes.

Taking a subtle dig at the dialogue — Ab raja ka beta raja nahin banega, ab raja wahi banega, jo haqdaar hoga — from the film Super 30 (2019), actor Isha Koppikar says such things sound good only in films and the real scenario is completely different.

Weighing in on the current debates around nepotism and insider vs outsider in Bollywood, the actor asserts in the end, only hard work counts. “Whether you call it nepotism or favouritism, I agree it’s a loss for outsiders like us. But many such star kids came and couldn’t do much, probably they lacked the skill even after getting opportunities. However, for outsiders like us, there’s an exam at every crossroad. And there’s no alternate to hard work. Madhuri (Dixit Nene), Deepika (Padukone), Priyanka (Chopra Jonas), Anushka (Sharma)... they all came from outside and carved their niche,” says Koppikar.

Ask her about the hurdles outsiders face when it comes to camps in Bollywood, the 44-year-old doesn’t deny that it happens, but is quick to add that cribbing is futile. “Yes, there are camps, but what can I say about it? Maybe these people want to work with those they like, their friends and people who’d listen to them. I also have grievances. I can be bitter, but I don’t want to,” she says, elaborating on the casting couch in the industry.

“Of course that happens, too. But, again it depends on what you want. Aapko casting couch ke sahare kaam karna hai, toh karo, bahut heroines ne kiya aur oonche mukaam par pahunchi hain. But if you don’t want, then don’t do it. You always have a choice. I prefer a clear conscience and a good night’s sleep,” she adds.

Isha Koppikar, who was last seen in Lalit Marathe's don drama, Shabri, in 2011 (two years later, she made her Marathi film debut with Maat) is gearing up for a Bollywood comeback in debutant director Ankur Narendra Bhatia's Saangli. It kicks off in October and is looking at an early 2016 release.

The film revolves around a female spiritual leader and her mentor who will be played by Isha. “The film travels from 1960s to the present day and Isha's role spans from 30 to 80 years,“ informs Bhatia, adding that Divyendu Sharma of Pyaar Ka Punchnama fame also plays a pivotal role spanning generations. Isha, who is married to restauranter Timmy Narang, delivered a baby girl last year. Rianna will turn one this month. Isn't she still too young to be left alone while mummy shoots for a film? “Remember the famous Anil Kapoor dialogue, 'Time hota nahin, nikaalna padta hai'? I swear by that,“ says Isha. “I was shooting a film down South when she was three months old. She's older now and can come on the sets when I'm filming in Mumbai. And if there's a schedule abroad I'll take her with me. Being a mother is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a woman and I won't compromise there. One needs to strike a balance between one's personal and professional lives.“

The 38-year-old actress has had her fill of run-of-the-mill roles and has been hungering for something more challenging these last three years. “Acting is my passion and cinema is in its best phase today with different kind of films being made. I think this is a good role to begin with,“ she smiles.

She admits that the role has shades of grey. “But it's the situation that makes her character do what she does,“ Isha reasons.

The actress also plans to produce a film and is looking for a good story. “I'm reading scripts and hope to zero in on the right subject soon,“ she says, crossing her fingers for luck.