Isha Koppikar says she could've done Priyanka Chopra's role in Don better: 'I was hurt when I wasn't called back for Don 2'

Isha Koppikar, who is known for her iconic dance numbers like Khallas in Company and Aaj Ki Raat in Don, recently reflected on her experience in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don and revealed that she was deeply hurt when she was not cast in Don 2, while the original cast, including Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani and Om Puri, were retained.
Isha then went on to explain how she got the role in Don, revealing that it was thanks to the support of Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, who were impressed by her performance in D, where she played Chunky Panday's wife. She recalled receiving a call from them after her emotional portrayal, which eventually led to her landing a part in Don.
"Shabana ji and Javed saab called me after my performance in D, where I played Chunky Panday’s wife, where I am held by the gangsters and he is murdered in front of me and I am crying and howling to save my husband. And I get a call from them and my trophy for that was Don,” she told Galatta India.

Despite being grateful for her role in Don, Isha acknowledged that Priyanka Chopra's character in the film was far more powerful than hers. “I feel Priyanka’s role was more powerful than mine. I would have given my left and right arm for it. I am a black belt in Taekwondo. I have been learning Taekwondo for 25 years now so I know I am fantastic at action and I can give any heroine a run for their money as far as action is concerned, even if they are half my age. I know I am good at it but what’s done is done,” she shared.
Looking back, Isha admitted feeling hurt when she wasn't called back for the Don sequel in 2011. She did reach out, only to be told that the casting had already been finalized. "It's okay, you win some, you lose some," she said, adding that she later didn’t mind much as the sequel didn’t fare as well as the original.

In the same interview, Isha shared that she auditioned for the role played by Sonali Kulkarni in Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai and was offered the part. However, by then, she had already committed her dates to another project.
Isha gained recognition for her glamorous and bold roles in the early 2000s, featuring in several hit songs like "Baby Baby" in Kalyug (2005) and "Khallas" in Company (2002), where she portrayed a fierce character. Apart from Bollywood, Isha also appeared in Tamil and Telugu films, broadening her acting career across regional cinema.