Telugu superstar Nagarjuna once slapped his heroine 14 times. She recalls, 'Literally had marks on my face...'

In the world of cinema, actors often strive to deliver emotionally resonant performances that feel authentic to the audience. For many performers, this means immersing themselves completely in the mindset and emotional condition of their characters. Actress Isha Koppikar recently reflected on a moment early in her career when she went to such lengths during the filming of the 1998 movie Chandralekha, where she starred opposite South Indian superstar Nagarjuna.

Speaking to Hindi Rush, Koppikar opened up about how deeply she committed to method acting while working on the film. During a particular scene that required her to appear visibly angry on screen, she struggled to bring out the right expression. Despite multiple attempts, her reaction didn’t translate effectively on camera. To intensify the performance and make her portrayal more convincing, she made an unusual request—she asked Nagarjuna to slap her for real.

According to Isha, this wasn’t a decision made lightly. It was only her second film at the time, and she was determined to deliver a performance that felt real. Initially hesitant, Nagarjuna was reluctant to strike her. However, after her insistence, he agreed to go ahead, albeit softly at first. But as the takes continued, the team demanded more intensity in the scene, resulting in repeated retakes.

Eventually, the scene was filmed 14 times, and each time, Nagarjuna delivered a real slap to capture the correct emotional reaction. By the time the shoot wrapped up, Isha had visible marks on her face.

She emphasised that Nagarjuna repeatedly expressed regret for what had happened, apologizing to her throughout. Isha, however, reassured him that the idea had been hers and that he was simply helping her achieve the performance she was aiming for.

“I literally had marks on my face. Bechara mujhe leke baitha, bola sorry (Poor guy, he apologised to me). I said, ‘I asked for it; why are you saying sorry?" she recalled.

Isha Koppikar has since carved out a space for herself in the Indian film industry with performances in films like Krishna Cottage, Pinjar, Kya Kool Hain Hum, and Don. Her most recent appearance was in the 2024 Tamil science fiction film Ayalaan.