Shah Rukh Khan asked ‘Who will look at me?’ while shooting Don’s ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ with Priyanka Chopra and Isha Koppikar, recalls actor

Isha Koppikar fondly reflected on her experience of shooting Don with Shah Rukh Khan, whom she referred to as 'god.'

Chennai | December 4, 2024 06:53 PM IST

3 min read

Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Isha Koppikar in stills from Don. (Pic: IMDB)

Playing a pivotal role in Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra’s Don remains one of the defining moments of Isha Koppikar’s career. However, in a recent interaction, Isha shared her disappointment at not being cast in Priyanka Chopra’s role, which she described as ‘more powerful.’ Despite this, she also fondly reflected on her experience of shooting with Shah Rukh Khan, whom she referred to as ‘god.’

Speaking to Galatta India, Isha said, “I believe Priyanka’s role was more powerful than mine. I would have given both my left and right arms for it. I am a black belt in Taekwondo. I’ve been learning it for 25 years. I can give any heroine a run for their money as far as action is concerned, even if they are half my age. I understand I’m good at it, but what’s done is done.”

Isha also expressed her disappointment at not being approached for Don 2, despite the sequel retaining most of the cast from the first film. She revealed, “I did reach out to them. I was told they have already cast it. It’s okay.”

Reflecting on her journey to securing the role in Don, Isha credited Farhan’s father, Javed Akhtar, and his stepmother, Shabana Azmi, for recognizing her talent. “They called me after watching my performance in D, in which I played Chunky Panday’s wife and was kept hostage by gangsters while he was murdered in front of me, leaving me screaming and howling to save my husband. And I got a call from them, and my trophy for that was Don,” she stated.

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Though she didn’t get the role she had hoped for in Don, Isha expressed immense gratitude and excitement for the opportunity to work alongside Shah Rukh Khan. “SRK is like God for me,” she said, admitting that she agreed to do the film primarily because she is an ardent fan of the superstar. She said, “Even if I had a small part, I would have just played a tree standing next to Shah Rukh Khan in Don. He has so much energy and you derive that energy from him. He is so humble, fun. He kept saying funny one-liners and kept sharing anecdotes. While shooting “Aaj Ki Raat” he kept saying, ‘What will I do between these two girls? Who will look at me? I don’t even know how to dance.’ But his dancing is effortless. He is very smart.”

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