Talktime | Isha Koppikar
After Kya Kool Hai Hum, Isha Koppikar has again donned the cop avatar for her next movie looty. She talks to SANGEETA YADAV about her love for women oriented roles, regional cinema and what she would do if she was a cop for one day
How was your experience playing a cop in lootyIJ
It was an amazing experience. looty revolves around a robbery in Hyderabad and how I catch hold of the thieves. For this role, I had to learn how to shoot a gun. Because of my intense training from the past 14 years in martial arts and taekwondo, I managed to do justice to the character which required a lot of action. Martial arts is something which you can’t do in a three months crash course.
Do you prefer action-oriented rolesIJ
Action is something which I have always wanted to do from the start. I like to play strong women oriented roles. Even in Kya Kool Hai Hum, I played a cop and that was critically acclaimed. It was not a pure action flick but a comedy. I had not been able to display my martial art skills in any Bollywood so far. When I did action for the first time in a movie down south, the director liked it so much that they increased my scenes.
If you would have been a cop in real life, what you would have been doneIJ
I would have put all the officers in a very strict diet regime and discipline workout, so that they didn't have a paunch. Second, I would increase their salary and annual allowance, so that it doesn't attract them to take a bribe. Third, I would have looked at more ways to facilitate their performance and increase funds for them so that their stressful life gets better.
Do you have an action role modelIJ
Ever since I was a child, Bruce lee was my idol. I’ve watched all his movies 100 times. I wish I had a chance to work with him. But Abbas Alizada, who is also known as the Afghani Bruce lee, is his exact replica and apparently wants to work in Bollywood. I would like to work with him someday and with Steven Spielberg and Jackie Chan as well.
Why is it that you have done so many regional cinema than BollywoodIJ
I love to do little bit of everything. As an actor, knowing different languages and getting a chance to understand different cinema by working in them is amazing. The Bengali films are fantastic, Punjabi movies are lavish whereas Marathi cinema is growing manifold. I believe life has new things to teach you all the time. You can’t be so restricted and inhibited towards your work. If the script is good, fits into your criteria and offers a nice role which you think would carry very well, so why not. At the end of the day, you are capturing the audience.
How is motherhood treating youIJ
It’s the best thing that has happened in my life. My daughter is eight months old and she is hyper active, just like me and her father. She is a happy, friendly, resilient and a calm baby.
Any wish in your bucket listIJ
I would love to do a biopic on a warrior queen. Because I myself feel like one. I have learnt sword fighting, horse riding, taekwondo and self defence. I’m a no-nonsense person.