Isha Koppikhar was born on September 19, 1976, in Bombay, India, to a Konkani-speaking Mangalorean family of learned academicians. She has a younger brother. Isha pursued a course in Life Sciences from Ruia College.
After completing her college course, she participated in the 1995 Miss India contest and won the Miss Talent crown. This win led to her landing lead roles in two 1998 Tamil movies, 'Kaadhal Kavidai' and 'En Swasa Katre', opposite Prasanth and Arvind Swamy respectively. Both movies received positive reviews, and she won the Best Female Debut award from Filmfare for her role in 'Kandhal Kavidai'.
Isha gained fame after a modeling shoot with Gautam Rajyadhaksa while she was still in Junior College. She has modeled for various brands, including "Camay", "Rexona", "L'Oreal", "Tips & Toes", "Coke", "Synergy", "Ponds", "Deepam Sarees", and has taken part in several ramp shows. She has also modeled for Anita Dongre.
Standing at an impressive five feet seven inches tall, Isha has better chances of becoming a leading lady opposite taller Bollywood heroes. She gained fame in Bollywood with her role in the Ram Gopal Varma number (Khallas) in the movie "Company", earning her the nickname "Khallas Girl".
Isha has come a long way from being a sizzling "item" girl to becoming a household name. She filled the niche created by the exit of another attractive Bollywood actress, Sonam. Her name bounced back into the limelight when she starred in the controversial film "Girlfriend", which tells the story of two lesbian lovers, a subject still taboo in India and some other parts of the world.
Isha was nominated for her role in "Qayamat" and received accolades for her role in "Pinjar". Taking inspiration from other Indian cinema personalities, she changed her name to Eesha Koppikhar and obtained a black belt in Taekwondo.
After a 10-year affair with Inder Kumar, they broke off when he got involved in an accident. He then got married to Sonal, the daughter of Raju Kariya, a marriage that lasted only five months. Isha and he later patched up, but the relationship did not last long.
Lina Mogre and Preity Zinta introduced her to hotelier Timmy Narang, and they clicked, dated for about a year, got formally engaged in a glittering 'Ken and Barbie' party, followed by a Sangeet ceremony at Worli's Mayfair on November 27. On November 29, 2009, they tied the knot at Juhu's Hare Krishna Mandir in the presence of close friends and relatives. The wedding was performed in traditional Maharashtrian style and lasted about four hours, followed by a reception at the Narangs' residence.
