'I ended up in hospital': Superstar Nagarjuna’s co-star opens up on hectic shoot schedules and balancing life in film industry

Isha Koppikar marked her film debut as the lead actress in the 1998 Tamil romantic drama Kaadhal Kavithai, which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. The 49-year-old even appeared opposite Nagarjuna in the 1998 family thriller Chandralekha, which took her career to new heights. Being a part of the film industry for decades, Koppikar has a deep understanding of how challenging it is to survive in the film industry despite its glamorous facade. Now, the Krishna Cottage actress has shared her two cents on the work-life balance in the cinema world.

Isha Koppikar opens up about grueling film schedules

Isha Koppikar recently appeared on Bharti Singh and her husband, Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast on YouTube, where she talked about how striking the right balance between professional commitments and family life often takes a toll on health. The actress revealed that in the present-day scenario, an actor or an actress is expected to devote 8 hours of their day to film sets. ‘Those who have children get just 8 hours', she said, adding that work sometimes gets so hectic that you are barely able to stand on your feet, feeling as if your body has given up.

Later in the conversation, Isha Koppikar remembered a demanding phase in her career when she was shooting for the 2008 romance-drama Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi. The actress shared that the pressure was so high with constant filming schedules that it eventually impacted her health. She recalled that her timetable was so hectic that she did not even have the chance to return home from Film City. The producer, overseeing the project, hence arranged an accommodation nearby.

When Deepika Padukone echoed Isha Koppikar’s views

Isha Koppikar continued that she would be shooting extensively from 9 am to 5 pm back at that time before resuming work again at 7 pm to 7 am the next morning, leaving her with only a few hours to rest. As a result of this repeated and exhausting routine, which went on for 5 days, Koppikar's health deteriorated rapidly on the 6th day. Her physical state worsened so much that she had to be admitted to the hospital.

Not just Isha Koppikar, but Deepika Padukone also weighed in on the work-life debate, soon after she walked out of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit, due to scheduling disagreements. In an interaction with Brut, the Padmaavat actress stressed on the fact that her demands weren’t unreasonable. As a top star, she understood the film industry from the inside and pointed out that several male actors have been doing 8-hour shifts for years, but no one bats an eyelid then.