
When one thinks of Nesippaya, the striking image of a Tamil-Portuguese lawyer with distinctive hairstyles and eclectic costumes, riding a Harley Davidson bike, will surely come to mind. Kalki Koechlin, who speaks nearly flawless Tamil as Indrani in the Vishnu Varadhan directorial, says one reason she was drawn to the character was because she rides a bike. “When he approached me about the lawyer role, the typical image of a lawyer—always in suits, very proper—came to mind.
But he said, ‘I don’t want that. I want to disrupt the traditional idea of a lawyer.’ He envisioned a strong, independent woman who has built her own path, and that independence was reflected in everything—from how she dresses to the fact that she rides a bike. For me, that angle was a real winner.”
In this conversation, Kalki also speaks about the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani re-release along with Nesippaya, her definition of the word ‘identity,’ how she balances her interests and more.
Excerpts:
As a new mother, did balancing work and family life influence your decision to take on Nesippaya?
When Nesippaya first came to me, I had to decline because I was very selective about work and wanted to spend more time with my daughter. That’s why the team had to explore other options and even spoke to Nayanthara. By the time they approached me again, a year had passed, and my daughter had started school, making it easier to balance work and family.
In Nesippaya, your dynamic with Akash felt very natural and sibling-like. Did you do any bonding exercises off-screen to develop that chemistry?
There was an automatic age dynamic between us—he’s much younger than me. Right from the start, he would call me Kalki Akka, and on my phone he is saved as Akash Thambi. I used to tease him about the pressure of being a first-time hero and carrying his father’s legacy. We had this playful banter from the beginning, which definitely added to the chemistry and helped the film.
How was the response to the re-release of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD)?
My social media has blown up with videos of people turning theatres into dance halls, singing along to the songs. A lot of youngsters told me how they watched YJHD back then and are now re-watching it with the re-release in India. They mentioned that the first half of the film feels like how they were twelve years ago, and the second half reflects who they are today, showing how the movie has really resonated with different generations. It’s wonderful to see how well it has aged.
Your Tamil in Nesippaya was nearly flawless. What was the process that went behind perfecting it?
I was born in Pondicherry and can speak a bit of Tamil, though I’ve forgotten most of it. My Tamil is quite simple, but in the film, it had to be more polished and complex. That’s why I struggled a bit. When you’re speaking for a film, the language has to be more formal, with proper grammar and nuances, which isn’t how I usually speak. Vishnu sir loves to improvise, so at the last minute, he’d ask me to say things in a particular way, and I’d get nervous. We had some struggles, but I’d try to put things in my own words if I didn’t understand something. During dubbing, though, the pressure was much lower.
As someone from a theatre background, what are some differences that you see between theatre acting and cinema?
I think the respect for the script is incredible in theatre acting. Every dialogue, every comma, and every full stop had meaning and was there for a reason. That kind of devotion to the script is rare in cinema. Usually, it’s all about improvisation and changing things on the go, but in plays, it is different—every detail is carefully considered.
How do you view the concept of identity as someone who represents multiple ethnicities?
I believe identity is multifaceted. You’re never just one thing. I embrace the idea of an identity crisis because it’s part of who you are. Until you accept all the different aspects of yourself, you can’t truly be whole. Society often tries to define you based on how you dress, how you speak, or other superficial traits, boxing you into a single identity. But with time and maturity, you begin to realise that these labels aren’t true and that you can be many things. So, for me, multiplicity is at the core of identity.
What are some of your upcoming projects?
One of the projects I’m working on is called Ghost Hunters, though it might have a different title when it is released. It’s based on the true story of Gaurav Tiwari, a man who was a paranormal investigator and died under mysterious circumstances in his bathroom. The cause of death is still uncertain, and the show delves into those unknowns. It’s going to be pretty scary—I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch it myself. The other project is called Her Song, an American-French co-production. It’s a comedy about an American woman who goes to France to discover her roots, only to find her life beginning to mirror the stories she’s writing. It’s a fun and very different project from what I’ve done before.