Kalki Koechlin was born to French parents in a small village in Pondicherry. Her parents had come to explore India, loved it here and decided to settle down in our country. Being devotees of Sri Aurobindo, Kalki grew up with people from different walks of life and thus emerged the unique, inspiring and unconventional actress that we all love.
After studying drama at the Goldsmith University of London, she worked with a theatre company and tried her hand at several plays, one of them being ‘The Blue Room.’ Taking a leap of faith and in order to pursue her acting career, she moved to Mumbai to try her hand in Indian cinema.
She auditioned for the role of Chanda in Dev D and then there was no looking back for her. Best known for her roles in Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, acting for Kalki is a form of expression.
Talking to a room full of about 200 women, Kalki emphasized on the importance of an equal society and urged the women to empower those with an unfair start. The audience were mesmerized when she narrated a few lines from ‘The truth of Womanhood’, “Enough of a woman who has to become a man to compete, who has to weaken where she is strong and strengthen where she is weak…..”
Living in Goa, with her daughter and partner, Kalki gave a very witty reply when quizzed about love. She apprised us that love was like a pair of shoes, when you are young, heels feel good but with the passing of time, you need the comfortable berkinstock, the same holds true for love and companionship.
A wonderfully moderated session by Ankita Gupta (Chairperson) and Radhika Gupta (Past Chairperson), it was a delight to meet the aspirational and beautiful as ever Kalki, who is indeed a catalyst of change in our society.
