Kalki Koechlin made her Bollywood debut with DevD.(Image courtesy: officialhumansofbombay)
Highlights
- "The struggles never really end," wrote Kalki Koechlin
- "Struggle can find you anywhere but life goes on," she added
- Kalki currently features in the web-series Made In Heaven
Whenever we speak of the finest actresses in Bollywood today, Kalki Koechlin's name always pops up. Kalki, in her piece for Humans Of Bombay, opened up about feeling like an outsider, dealing with struggle, being typecast and more. The 35-year-old actress, who stepped into the Indian entertainment industry with Anurag Kashyap' s 2009 film Dev D, revealed in her post that she faced rejection constantly and that she had no acting offers for 2 years. However, she wrote and acted in her own plays. "I started going for auditions, I'd even carry an extra pair of clothes everywhere. But it was hard. I got many rejections and was typecast. After countless tries I finally got my first role in DevD But that wasn't enough to guarantee more work. For 2 years I had no offers. But I didn't give up, I kept writing and acting in my own plays and in 2011 I had 4 movie releases," read an excerpt from the post.
In her post, Kalki also spoke about how she dealt with constant rumours that surfaced post her separation with her ex-husband and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and how she "chose to ignore" them. The Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara actress added, "The struggles never really end. When my ex-husband and I separated, I had to deal with the rumors. Every time I stepped out with a man, the media thought we were dating. Journalists would ask how my life was post-divorce, how was I handling my career and balancing it? Even concerned neighbours would ask my parents such questions. But I chose to ignore it."
Kalki also touched upon her childhood days and recalled the time when she realised that she wanted to be an actor. In order to pursue her dream of becoming an actor, Kalki tried to "sustain" herself. She even worked as a waitress and taught in schools. "As the years went by, I realised I wanted to be an actor and went abroad to study. To sustain myself, I worked as a waitress and taught in schools while trying to juggle plays. Once I knew I was ready, I moved back home," Kalki wrote.
Read Kalki Koechlin's full post here:
"My father hitchhiked from France to India & while he was living here, he met my mother. When they started a family, they were very much the locals of the city. My father taught hang gliding, while my mom taught French. I had an amazing childhood. For the most part, I was never aware that I was 'white'. I didn't feel like an outsider until much later. As I grew up, I noticed the difference. When I was a teenager, my friends & I would go on trips to the beach & people would approach me to buy drugs. I also had a nagging fear that I was being hit on because people thought I didn't follow Indian customs. So I'd be extra nice with the aunties-make sure they knew I was just like my friends. As the years went by I realised I wanted to be an actor & went abroad to study. To sustain myself, I worked as a waitress & taught in schools while trying to juggle plays. Once I knew I was ready-I moved back home. I started going for auditions, I'd even carry an extra pair of clothes everywhere. But it was hard. I got many rejections & was typecast. After countless tries I finally got my first role in DevD! But that wasn't enough to guarantee more work. For 2 years I had no offers. But I didn't give up, I kept writing & acting in my own plays. And in 2011 I had 4 movie releases! The struggles never really end. When my ex-husband & I separated, I had to deal with the rumors. Everytime I stepped out with a man, the media thought we were dating. Journalists would ask how my life was post-divorce, how was I handling my career & balancing it? Even concerned neighbours would ask my parents such questions. But I chose to ignore it. So through all of this, I've learnt that the struggle is on-going. It can find you anywhere. But life goes on, you think it's the end of the world just because something terrible happens, but you know you can deal with it. It will pass and tomorrow it will take care of itself! But it's amazing what you can get through! You sleep it off & begin again." -- HoB with Amazon Prime Video India brings to you the real stories of people which showcase the good, the bad and the ugly - all that is a part of the chaos of life, through their new show #MadeInHeaven
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Kalki signed off the article on a positive note. Kalki, who currently stars in Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's web-series Made In Heaven, summed up her way of dealing with struggles and wrote: "So through all of this, I've learnt that the struggle is on-going. It can find you anywhere but life goes on."
Kalki Koechlin is best-known for her performances in films such as That Girl in Yellow Boots, Shaitan, Margarita with a Straw and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. She has also been a part of several short films and web-series.