Kalki Koechlin: I've grown up with so many different influences

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Kalki Koechlin shared that her multicultural upbringing made her adaptable and allowed her to explore different facets of herself. This experience has helped her bring greater empathy and depth to her acting.

Asked whether feeling like an outsider has helped her bring more empathy and depth to her roles, Kalki told IANS: “I'm sure it has.”

“I've grown up with so many different influences: French, Tamil, English, and diverse belief systems. All of that has allowed me to adapt and be very different in various circumstances.”

Kalki, who was born in Pondicherry to French parents, added: “I'd be a very different person speaking French at the dinner table with my parents, a very different person at school, and a very different person playing with the kids in my neighborhood.”

Kalki said that her diverse experiences have allowed her to connect with many different sides of herself

The actress added: “I think that has given me access to a range of different personalities, in a way, and I love that part. That's why I love acting; I can express all these different aspects of myself.”

Kalki was last seen on the big screen in 2023’s “Kho Gaye Hum Kahan” a coming-of-age buddy drama film directed by Arjun Varain Singh.

The film stars Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav as three friends who navigate their goals and relationships against the pressures of social media. Kalki Koechlin, Anya Singh and Rohan Gurbaxani appear in supporting roles.

Kalki made her Hindi film debut as Chanda in the black comedy-drama Dev.D. She subsequently starred in two of the highest-grossing Hindi films Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. She also starred in and co-wrote the crime thriller That Girl in Yellow Boots.

Her success continued with the supernatural thriller Ek Thi Daayan and the musical drama Gully Boy. She earned acclaim and the National Film Award – Special Jury Award for her role of a young woman with cerebral palsy in the coming-of-age drama Margarita with a Straw.

--IANS

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