Isha Koppikar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isha Koppikar
Koppikar in 2025
Born	(1976-09-19) 19 September 1976 (age 48) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress politician model
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)	Timmy Narang ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2023)​
Children	1

Isha Koppikar (born 19 September 1976) is an Indian actress, politician, and model. She has starred in many films, mostly in Hindi, but also in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi languages. She began her acting journey in South Indian films in the late 1990s. Later, she became well-known in Bollywood films in the early 2000s.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Isha Koppikar was born on September 19, 1976, in Mumbai, India. She grew up in a Konkani family and has a younger brother. She studied Life Sciences at Ramnarain Ruia College in Mumbai.

How She Started in Modeling

While in college, Isha had a photoshoot with a famous Indian photographer, Gautam Rajadhyaksha. This led her to work as a model for big brands like L'Oréal and Coca-Cola. In 1995, she joined the Miss India contest and won the Miss Talent Crown. Her modeling work helped her get into the film industry. Her first film role was in the Telugu movie W/o V. Vara Prasad in 1997.

Film Career Highlights

Isha Koppikar has had a long and interesting career in films across different Indian languages.

Early Films in South India (1997–2001)

Isha's film career officially began with the 1997 Telugu film W/o V. Vara Prasad. She appeared in a song in this movie. Her first Tamil film was Kadhal Kavidhai, where she starred with Prashanth. For this role, she won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. She then appeared in other Tamil films like En Swasa Kaatre (1998) and Nenjinile (1999).

By 2000, Isha also started working in Kannada films. She starred in movies like Hoo Anthiya Uhoo Anthiya, O Nanna Nalle, and Surya Vamsha. After a few small roles in Bollywood, she returned to South Indian cinema for a short time. Her last films in the South during this period were the Telugu comedy Prematho Raa and Narasimha.

Entering Bollywood (2000–2001)

Isha Koppikar made her Bollywood debut in 2000 with a small role in Fiza. She also had a special dance number in Rahul. In 2001, she got her first main role in a Bollywood film, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. Her next release was the comedy Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiyaa.

Becoming a Bollywood Star (2002–2011)

In 2002, Isha became very famous for her special dance number in the film Company. This song earned her the nickname Khallas Girl. Another popular dance number was Ishq Samundar in the movie Kaante. She also won an award for Most Exciting New Face for her Khallas performance.

Isha Koppikar walks the ramp for designer Pria Kataria Puri

In 2003, Isha appeared in six films. She starred with Arjun Rampal and Aishwarya Rai in Dil Ka Rishta. She also had a role in the critically praised film Pinjar, which won a National Film Award. In Qayamat: City Under Threat, she played a challenging role as one of the terrorists, which earned her a nomination for Best Villain at the Filmfare Awards.

She continued to be busy in 2004 with six more releases. She worked with Sunil Shetty in Rudraksh and Ek Se Bhadkhar Ek. She also starred in the ghost story Krishna Cottage and a film that caused public discussion, Girlfriend.

In 2005, she had four films. She was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Role for her performance in Kyaa Kool Hai Hum. She also made guest appearances in comedies like Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? and 36 China Town.

In 2006, Isha played 'Anita', the girlfriend of Shahrukh Khan's character, in the hit film Don: The Chase Begins Again. Despite the film's success, her career faced some challenges with other movies not being released widely.

Her 2007 film Salaam-e-Ishq saw her share screen time with Sohail Khan. Later that year, she appeared in Darling. In 2008, she starred in Hello, based on a popular novel, and Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi.

Isha married Timmy Narang in 2009. She had two films in 2010, Right Yaaa Wrong and Hello Darling, but both did not do well. Her film Shabri, where she played a woman gangster, was finally released in 2011. Her acting was praised, but the film had a limited release.

Recent Roles (2013–Present)

In 2013, Isha made her debut in Marathi cinema with the film Maat. She returned to Telugu films in 2017 with Keshava and also appeared in the Marathi film FU: Friendship Unlimited. In 2018, she was seen in Kannada films like Looty and Kavacha.

Isha also started acting in web series. In 2019, she made her digital debut in Fixerr, playing a sub-inspector. She also appeared in the crime thriller series Dhahanam (2022) and Suranga (2022). Isha Koppikar returned to Tamil cinema in 2024, playing an assassin in the science-fiction film Ayalaan.

Political Career

Isha Koppikar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party in India. She was appointed as the working president of the BJP's women transport wing. This means she helps lead the women's section of the party that focuses on transport issues.

Other Activities

Besides acting, Isha Koppikar has performed in stage music shows. She also appeared in music videos, including Patli Kamar by KK and Bhor (Satyam Shivam Sundaram) by Bandish Projekt.

In 2006, she danced with the finalists on the Indian Idol Grand Final. In 2007, she was one of the judges on the celebrity dance competition Nach Baliye 3. She also owned a restaurant in 2015.

Isha was a judge for the Miss Universe 2008 contest, held in Vietnam. She also presented a wrestling show called 100% De Dana Dan in 2009. She continues to model for fashion designers and is a spokesperson for PETA, an animal rights organization. She received a Humanitarian Award from PETA in 2009.

Personal Life

Isha Koppikar is skilled in Taekwondo and holds a black belt. She married businessman Timmy Narang on November 29, 2009. They have a daughter. They divorced on November 29, 2023.

Filmography

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Web Series

Awards and Nominations

Music Videos

See also

In Spanish: Isha Koppikar para niños