Kalki said: “Of course, and it’s about time and most of the directors I have worked with in the last 6-7 years have been women and it is a different perspective and we have stories to tell.”…reports Asian Lite News
National Award-winning actress Kalki Koechlin revealed how she wants to be remembered 10 years down the line.
Kalki, who turned showstopper for the label Aikeyah at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI on day 3, talked to IANS on the sidelines of the event.
Asked how the actress wants to be remembered 10 years from today, pat came the reply from Kalki, who said: “Relevant”.
In her 15 years long journey in Hindi cinema, Kalki has worked with female directors such as Zoya Akhtar, Anu Menon, Konkona Sen Sharma and Meghana Gulzar.
Does she believe that there is a “female gaze”?
Kalki said: “Of course, and it’s about time and most of the directors I have worked with in the last 6-7 years have been women and it is a different perspective and we have stories to tell.”
The 40-year-old actress, who made her Hindi film debut in the black comedy-drama ‘Dev.D’ in 2009, shared details about her fashion sensibilities.
“I’m really into sustainable clothing in my personal life more. I’d rather spend that extra money in something of quality, and I also love my second-hand vintage upcycled market.”
The actress said she tries to keep it simple.
“I do try to keep it simple in my daily life because I do so much in my work.”
Kalki does not agree with what many feel is that expensive means fashionable.
“I think you can find incredible stuff in second-hand and vintage stores and local markets. But yes there is a price to pay for good quality,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful film and I am thrilled to present it. I am so happy that after travelling across the world to so many festivals, it’s finally coming to the audiences in India,” added Kashyap…reports Asian Lite News
Actress Kalki Koechlin is ‘excited’ to mark her return to the theatres with ‘Goldfish’, after four years, saying it is an international movie with raw humour and heartwarming emotions.
Set in London, ‘Goldfish’ deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur, with some actors from the UK – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki was last seen in 2019 Hindi movie ‘Gully Boy’, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. She also starred in the 2020 Tamil anthology drama ‘Paava Kadhaigal’, in the segment ‘Love Panna Uttranum’ as Penelope.
On September 30, 2019, Kalki confirmed her pregnancy with her boyfriend, Guy Hershberg, an Israeli musician. Their daughter was born on February 7, 2020 through water birth.
Talking about her experience of working on ‘Goldfish’, and her return to theatres after four years, Kalki said: “It is exciting to be back on screen, with such a beautiful film ‘Goldfish’, after a long hiatus from acting due to motherhood and Covid.”
“Interestingly, in the tradition of art imitating life, the film also explores a mother daughter relationship during Covid lockdown, played by Deepti Naval and myself respectively. It is an international movie with raw humour and heart-warming emotions that will reach out to all of us who’ve struggled with our parents, our children or our identity,” added Kalki.
The film had its world premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, held in October 2022. It also had a gala premiere at 53rd International Film Festival of India, Goa; East Coast Premiere in New York Indian Film Festival 2023; and Texas premiere in Indie Meme Film Festival 2023.
Speaking about presenting the film to the Indian audience, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Kalki’s ex-husband, shared, “I saw ‘Goldfish’ at the Busan International Film Festival and I was so moved by the film. The relationship between Kalki and Deepti, with some brilliant writing and performances, directed with so much nuance ,all the incredible supporting performances.”
“It’s a beautiful film and I am thrilled to present it. I am so happy that after travelling across the world to so many festivals, it’s finally coming to the audiences in India,” added Kashyap.
Anamika (Kalki Koechlin), the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana (Deepti Naval) because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Anamika returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn’t remember her.
Speaking about her journey on the film, Deepti said: “’Goldfish’ is a perfect cinema that any artist would want to be a part of. It tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship and delves into the complexities of human nature and how circumstances mould individual relationships.”
“The importance of a community and the love people offer is highlighted in the film through the stellar performances of Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat. It was a treat to work with Kalki and to see the script come to life through the lens of Pushan. I cannot wait for audiences to experience this work of art,” added the senior actress.
A Splendid Films production, produced by Amit Saxena, the film will be released in theatres in multiple cities across India, and the US on August 25.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Kalki also has ‘Made In Heaven 2’, which will be streaming from August 10, on Prime Video.
Born in Pondicherry to French parents, Koechlin, who spent a significant part of her childhood in Auroville and studied drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, will soon be seen in Pushan Kripalani’s ‘Goldfish’ that will have its World Premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival…writes Sukant Deepak
From ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ to ‘Margarita with a Straw’. From ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ to ‘That Girl in Yellow Boots’. Not to forget her roles in OTT series like ‘Made in Heaven’ and ‘Sacred Games’. What has remained constant in actor
‘s trajectory is her ability to zero in on scripts that promise to give her enough room to deliver.
“Choosing a script… Well, I think it lies more in the gut than in the mind. Something excites my curiosity. Having said that, sometimes I do agree to go ahead because it is good for the commercial viewership or I need the work,” she tells.
Born in Pondicherry to French parents, Koechlin, who spent a significant part of her childhood in Auroville and studied drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, will soon be seen in Pushan Kripalani’s ‘Goldfish’ that will have its World Premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival.
Stressing that she loved Kripalani’s debut film ‘Threshold’ and wanted to work with him since, the actor adds, “This script was just powerful and profound, there was just no question of not doing it. I needed to have an English accent: Occam. That was largely my prep and many readings over zoom as we were surrounded by the Pandemic’s second wave. Pushan did his own camera work and often ran two cameras at the same time for the length of the entire scene. I loved that process, we could react so truthfully and spontaneously.”
Koechlin, who co-wrote the drama ‘Skeleton Woman’, which won her The MetroPlus Playwright Award, and made her directorial debut on stage with the tragicomedy ‘Living Room’ smiles when asked if she still felt like an ‘outsider’. “I feel like an actor. And there is no space big enough to hold all our dramatic endeavours.”
The National-award winning actor feels that while OTT has ascertained much employment and a chance for talent to shine, good content, whether it be in film or OTT is still hard to come by. “If I have anything to crib about, it is that there is too much content to read, and since I always insist on reading the entire thing not just a synopsis, it can get exhausting when the content is not great.”
Koechlin, who recently wrote the book ‘The Elephant in the Womb’, which, among other things talks about the social stigma of abortions and unmarried pregnancies, the toll that pregnancy takes on a body and the unacknowledged domestic labour of women, may not have any plans to write another book soon, but she has surely has learnt how to deal with commentary on her personal life. “Mostly I ignore. Also, I have accepted that as part of the job. If I need privacy, I just switch off my phone.”
Recalling the lockdown days, she says they were hard. “And I happened to have just given birth. It was a lonely time, and the news was so grim I was afraid to get connected with the outside world. The whole period was an emotional grind, but writing ‘The Elephant in the Womb gave me some respite. I was so grateful to have a little part of me still creating, it gave me some routine to the endless feeling of those days.”
The actor, who just shot for ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ is now working on the third season of her podcast with the BBC ‘My Indian Life’. “I am really hungry to do more theatre. I have not gotten there yet, with the mum and work balance, but hopefully soon,” she signs off.
