'Like hugging your father': Isha Koppikar on romancing older co-stars
What's the story
Bollywood actor Isha Koppikar recently revealed her discomfort while working with older actors in her films. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, she shared that romancing elder actors sometimes felt like "hugging your father." She stated, "You do feel uncomfortable when you work with someone 30 or 20 years older than you. I felt uncomfortable when I was working with elderly heroes."
Age disparity
Koppikar on why she did such scenes despite discomfort
Koppikar further elaborated on her experience, saying, "I was new, I thought this was the norm. You are an actor; you focus on your part and forget they are elderly." "You wouldn't feel cringe with everyone, some of them had maintained themselves very well and wouldn't look their age, but some obviously had that air and demeanor of a senior, due to age and experience in the industry"
Audience perception
Koppikar highlights audience awareness of age gap
Koppikar pointed out that audiences are not blind to the age disparity issue in Bollywood. "I hope this changes, because the audience is not foolish. I have seen them in theatres saying, 'Ye kitna buddha lag raha hai, ghar pe baith; apni beti ki umar ki ladki saath romance kar raha hai.' They say this bluntly, which is the truth." "Because of social media, everyone knows this."
Career overview
Koppikar's journey in the film industry
Koppikar began her acting career with the Telugu movie - W/o V. Vara Prasad. Her first Bollywood film was Fiza, and she has since been featured in films like Company, Kaante, Pinjar, LOC Kargil, Kya Kool Hain Hum, 36 China Town and Hello. Her most recent Bollywood film was Love You Loktantra, which was released in 2022. In 2024, she was a part of the Tamil film Ayalaan.