Have Will, Will Succeed!. Review on Isha Koppikar

Some people never give up! Like the spider in Robert Bruce’s story, they continue to try and try again, until they finally succeed! Such life stories are few and rare. One such story is that of actress Ishaa Koppikar.

Read on…

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Background

Born in a Saraswat Konkani family, Ishaa was brought up in a traditional background under the strict supervision of her grandmother, to whom she was extremely close. Her doctor father and banker mother made sure she got the best possible education and upbringing.

In her late teens, her attractive personality and good looks prompted many to encourage her into the not-so-conventional field of modeling and films. Initially there was a lot of resistance from her extended family, but with her determination, she managed to overcome this.

However, for Ishaa Koppikar, its been a painfully laborious journey!

First steps

Getting eliminated after reaching the last 10 in the Miss India pageant 1996. she did not lose hope. Even her debut film“Ek tha dil ek thi dhadkan” (1997) with Inder Kumar turned out to be ill-fated since the project was shelved mid-way.

Detour

She then turned south and worked in a few Tamil films where her performances were appreciated. However not content with being a regional actress, she returned back to Bollywood.

Back on track

After a spate of inconsequential roles in films like Qayamat, Darma Mana hai, Dil ka rishta, Aamdani Atthani Kharcha rupaiya, she became Bollywood’s first item number girl with her “Khallas” routine in Ramgopal Varma’s ''Company'' (2002). Since then, she has never looked back. She consolidated her position with the “Ishq samandar” number with Sanjay Dutt in Sanjay Gupta's “Kaante”.

Godfather – none

The absence of a Godfather in the industry can make the journey of an aspiring actor quite challenging. And for a beginner, becoming very choosy in role selection can be professional hara-kiri. Yet Ishaa decided not to take on every role thrown her way, selecting instead those offers where she had something meaty to do, even if it was for a small while.

Hence her cameo in the 2004 hit “Hum Tum” was very well appreciated. In the scenes that she appeared, she outshone all her co-stars, Saif, Rani and Jimmy. Even in some flop films like “Darna Mana Hai” and “Krishna Cottage”, her talent was acknowledged. However, despite her best efforts, her roles were snipped off and truncated in films like “Pinjar” and “Ek se Badkhar ek” which turned out to be inconsequential to her career.

More Controversy = More Popularity

She courted controversy by enacting the role of a lesbian trying to ensnare her roommate (Amrita Arora, of all people) in the notorious “Girlfriend”. While the film flopped, Ishaa’s performance was seen as outstanding, particularly in the contrast to the pathetic performances of her co-stars, Amrita Arora and Ashish Chowdhry.

Classy

Her music video “Bhor bhaye panghat pe” was so classy that one commentator remarked that this is the only music video where the model in the remix version has worn more clothes than the one in the original. Even in the image of a sexy siren, she managed to retain a dignified edge.

Recognition, at last

Ishaa finally came into her own as the lead heroine of the latest comedy hit “Kya Kool Hain Hum” where she played the role of a Maharashtrian lady inspector Urmila Martodkar. With her paan-chewing, impulsive and rough behaviour having to be camouflaged with a sexy seductive mask for a supposed sting operation, she came out tops. Her comic timing with veterans like Anupam Kher was superb.

Even her small role in the underworld thriller ''D'' was very well appreciated.

The Future

For aspirants like Ishaa, who are talented but have no filmy background, life is certainly not a bed of roses. However, with sheer will power, Ishaa has managed to carve a niche for herself in the film industry. In the past week itself, I saw two reviews on “5 Underrated actors” both having Ishaa in the list. This is a clear sign that Ishaa’s performance is being recognized.

Now it is upto producers to give her appropriate roles which would do justice to her talent and beauty!

For us viewers, we can only anticipate….