JOIN USArmed with myriad skills
Show-stopping looks and great acting skills make Kalki Koechlin one of the more promising actors in the industry in the past few years. Kalki spoke about her new movies, theatre and hobbies.
While she had no plans to enter the Hindi film industry, movies happened to her by chance. “I had not planned it. But obviously when I was doing theatre in Mumbai, I was going for auditions, and so Dev D came along,” she says.
And does she plan to stay here for long? “Yes. It is going well for me. It’s not something, I did not want and as an actor, no one would say no to films,” she says. Kalki was bought up in Pondicherry and speaks Tamil, English and French fluently, but faced a problem when it came to Hindi.
“Yes, in the beginning, it was very difficult for me. I was training with a tutor for a month. Though, it’s a lot better now. Meri Hindi kaafi sudhar gayi hain,” she says laughing.
Having grown up in a simple atmosphere in Pondicherry, how does she find Mumbai now? “Mumbai is great for work. Its buzzing with creativity and everybody who goes there has some purpose, so that is great to have. But I hate the traffic and heat.”
And what about Bangalore? “My dad lives here. I have almost grown here as I was in a boarding school in Ooty. I came here very often,” she says.
About her upcoming movies, she informs that she is really excited about Zoya Akhtar’s next movie, Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara. “It is set in Spain and is an upbeat happy film. I am also doing My Friend Pinto, which is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production,” she says.
Talking more about That girl in yellow boots, which she has also written, she says, “It is a thriller, mystery.” So does she plan to keep writing? “I write a lot for theatre. It’s not as predominant as acting but it is still a part of my job,” she informs.
And how did she like shooting for her first commercial ad film? “It was very relaxed and I had little make-up on. It was good fun,” she says. About her hobbies, she says, “I watch a lot of movies. I like reading, trekking, snorkelling and other outdoor activities.” Does she get time for them? “I hardly find time for them now, though I did have a 10-day vacation earlier this year,” she says.