HYDERABAD: Be it her choice of roles or her experimental fashion sense, Kalki Koechlin is known as an actress who created a niche for herself in the film industry. This Bollywood beauty was in the city to attend the Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour 2015.
The 31-year-old is excited about the her upcoming films that are completely different from one another. She says, “Kaash and Waiting are lined up as of now. Kaash is a very different film. I am giving a guest appearance and it’s a very funny piece. Irrfan Khan is producing it. Apart from that, I’m also working with Anu Menon for Waiting. It is a light-hearted film about people waiting in a hospital. It is just a slice of life and deals with loss, medicine and hospitals.”
After essaying supporting roles in films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara, Kalki earned global acclaim for her powerful performance in Margarita With a Straw.
Her unconventional looks could have stood in her way to stardom, but Kalki Koechlin has made her presence felt in Bollywood. Despite her success in unconventional roles, Kalki reveals that she’s always open for films that are solely entertainment and filled with ‘masala’. The actress, however, dispels notions of a Tollywood debut.
“I do not like the idea of somebody else dubbing for me. Thus, I have a language barrier to do Telugu films. But, everybody knows I speak Tamil and I would love to work with Rajniknath. I’m just waiting for the right script,” she says.
Among her industry colleagues, Kalki says she has always admired the directors she’s worked with, especially Dibakar Banerjee, whom she worked with in Shanghai. “I also look up to Irrfan Khan and Tabu. They are some amazing actors the industry has.”
The actress, has earned the tagline of being the ‘queen of experimental fashion’.
“That is what fashion is all about -- experimenting. I think everything is a mix. There is no pure form of clothes, culture or style. Fashion depicts who you are, your tastes and your personality,” she quips adding that her favourite designer of all times has been Sabyasachi.
Her interest in writing and theatre has been alive since her childhood and is still something she loves to do. She had recently written and directed a play, The Living Room. Kalki reveals that she manages to balance between her career in theatre and films smoothly.
“Movies require a certain mental discipline, while theatre demands more of a physical discipline. I like writing but that does not mean I want to move away from films. I manage to make both happen,” she observes.
When asked about her idea of directing a film, she laughs saying, “I do not think I have the technical knowledge to direct a film. But I would love to write for one. I like the idea of working with different people, both in cinema and theatre. It is an exchange of ideas and it feels good.”
She is often referred to as a feminist and a person who has taken a road less travelled. This was proved right in Margarita With A Straw, where she plays a charcter of a disabled teenage girl.
“I think such sensitive issues need to be addressed. My last film was a beautiful portrayal of sexuality and that was the reason I agreed to do it. It is not to create a balance but, I get to do a dark film and then a light hearted or a funny film. That is what I have been approached to do. I do not like to repeat myself. So, I choose roles I have not done any time before,” she signs off.