eesha koppikhar narang

Courtesy: IndiaFM

Thursday, August 17, 2006

From playing cameos in films like Fiza, Pinjar, Dil Ka Rishta to doing item numbers in Company and Kaante, Isha Koppikar has been there and done that. Her next film Shabri seems to be a turning point in her career and even she agrees to it. She plays the title role and confesses that there are very few female oriented roles written in Bollywood.

Tell us about Shabri
I play the title role of Shabri who is the main protagonist. She stays in a slum. She is the only care taker of her family. What happens with her family and under what circumstances she turns a lady gangster is to be seen in the film. Shabri is a victim of society. It's about how she takes revenge.

You have a total de-glam look in the film.

Yes, I know Shabri's look is in talk. I think it's not de-glam look but it is the most glamorous. To make it de-glam I had to put on extra make up on my skin.

Is the character of Shabri an extension of what you did in D?
It is somewhat like Dbut there are some differences too. The character of Shabri is below the poverty line. She is more aggressive, loud and dreaded.

Will it be another underworld film from the RGV stable? What's different about Shabri?
Shabri is definitely different from D. If you see these characters then you will find differences between these two. In D, I was a happy-go-lucky girl who never cared about others. Shabri is louder and aggressive. I can't reveal much about it. One has to watch the film to learn her character; Shabri can't be expressed in words.

Will Shabri be a turning point in your career?
Yes, you can say that; maybe more than a turning point. I feel I am lucky that I got an opportunity to play such character because such characters are rarely written in Bollywood. There are very few female protagonists that stand out like this.

Lalit Marathe is a debutante director. How is he to work with?
Lalit is very precise about what he wants from his actors. He is very articulate. He did his homework well before shooting. He is passionate about his work and it's wonderful to work with such director, who could easily extract your talent.

Who is cast opposite you in the film?
He is a new guy called Raj Arjun.

Do you think it's a risk to do a role like that?
No, I don't think so. As an actor I have done my job. The film is written and executed in such a way that if it creates an impact then it would be a plus point for me. In fact, it's a USP of the film. I must say that the director has done a great job. He knows how to extract good performance from an actor. Shabri would be a shock for masses.

What about Don? Tell us something about it. Your character is said to be a new addition to the remake. It seems it wasn't there in the original film?
I play Anita. She is girlfriend of Don. Though the character was in old Don but here the extension and significance of the character is more as compared to the old character.

Are you doing an item number in Don?
No, I don't think it's an item number. You can't call it an item number as we all - Shahrukh, Priyanka and I are part of it. So it's not an item number.

You have signed Darling? Are you doing the same role which was offered to Bipasha?
Yes, it's the same role. It's a love story. I have just signed the movie so I can't talk much about it. I will start shooting from September.

How is it working with RGV again?
Unfortunately, I have done his films, but not the ones that he has directed.

Some of your films are stuck since a long time - Gahraee, Haseena, Raakh. What's the problem with these films? Do you regret doing these films?
I don't know what exactly went wrong. But, yes I mean you feel bad about it when you work so hard for a movie. More than that, I feel bad about the directors and producers, who put a lot of time and money in the films and get nothing.

Are you happy with the way your career has shaped?
Yes, I am extremely happy with the way its going. In fact, this year seems more promising for me on career front. I have nothing to regret.

From your first movie to now what kind of growth you see in yourself as an actor?
I have grown as an actor. I feel more confident. I have improved my look as I have groomed myself well. Like no one grows without bang and I am no exception. Lots of people have contributed to transform me and make me what I am now.

What kind of roles you are looking forward to?
Anything, that excites me as an actor. I had never imagined that I will be offered Shabri. I would like to surprise my audiences by such kind of roles.