A biography for Kalki Koechlinhasn’t been written yet.
“There were a lot of pretty women in cinema around Audrey Hepburn's time, but she stood out because she had a very interesting personality - which went beyond her looks. She did so much for women, for animal rights, for children's education - it's always the personality that comes through and makes one seem beautiful.”
“I do like to dress up, and I love to go for red carpet events and look my best, but I have to be comfortable, and I don't want to wear make-up when I am taking a flight.”
“I think you're stereotyped after every film. Post 'Dev D,' I was only offered bold roles. Similarly, after 'Margarita With A Straw,' I was offered roles where I had to play differently-abled people. So, no matter what type of film you work in, people tend to slot you.”
“Of course, people have tried to stereotype me... But it's very short-lived if you realise that you're only as new as your newest film... You have to look beyond the period of initial reactions and recognise that there's a bigger body of work and an effort to do something bigger.”
“We need better and stronger roles for female actors.”
“I like Kerala a lot. The beautiful beaches there, the backwaters - I have good memories of the place.”
“Theatre is something that keeps me very alert, and I am actively creating whether I am on stage or directing. In films, I feel I become more of an introvert, going deeper in the realism of a character.”
“I feel, at times, women in India go beyond their comfort zone just to clad the trend, and that automatically becomes a faux pas. If you are not comfortable with something, please don't wear it.”
“We don't expect someone in a bikini to stand up for women's rights; we only expect a girl in an 'NGO outfit' to speak about it. It's as much as the right of the girl in the bikini to talk about it as a woman in a kurta. We need to embrace that multiplicity.”
“It's only that we live in a patriarchal society, and therefore, the word 'feminism' has to be used as a counter to patriarchy. But feminism is about being equal. The word used should be 'equalist,' as it is about all humans being equal and respecting each other for that.”
“I was born in Pondicherry. Both my parents are French. They met in Pondicherry in the '70s, got married, and stayed back in India.”
“If you are a musician, you practise your instrument every day, but actors can't be on a set every day. Theatre is a way for me to keep practising my art form.”
“I have never been ashamed of whatever I do.”
“I haven't been trying to lose weight. I wish I would put on some weight.”
“Vulnerability is important in life, I feel. That's what allows you to experience intense emotions, whether it's joy or pain or sadness.”
“I am not an activist. I am an actor.”
“It's only over time that you get to exploring or adding nuances to the character. Like my part in 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' - I am so not the person who wears high heels and totters about like a poodle.”
“I think, no matter how successful you are, there is some struggle of one kind or the other for every actor at every level. There are times when your work progresses at an extremely slow pace.”
“There's nothing like performing for a live audience.”
“There's a lot of pressure on women to look in a certain way. It's not easy to live in a world that objectifies women.”