Kalki Koechlin is a popular actor who has appeared in several superhit films. While she agrees that she may not be an A-lister, the actor is well-known among fans.
But Kalki says the irony is that she leads a simple life and often just makes enough to make ends meet.
Kalki on her success
In an interview on AfterHours with All About Eve YouTube channel, Kalki talked about how she has an image of a successful film star when the reality is quite different. “I’m a lot less successful than people think I am. In the sense that I am famous, but I live a very simple life. I spend a lot of time not working, being at home, and now living in Goa and raising a child. It’s a choice. I do a lot of theatre, and I produce theatre, which is not a very business-oriented approach. It’s very much art for the sake of art. People know me, and everyone is really familiar with me, but they are really surprised to see me on public transport, for instance. They’re like, ‘How can you not be with bodyguards?’. Somehow, I have an image bigger than who I really am,” the actor said.
Kalki on earning from theatre
Over the course of a career that began in 2008, Kalki has appeared in box office hits like Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Gully Boy. However, the actor also works in theatre regularly. She agreed that it is not financially rewarding, though. “You get paid for travel, and it’s very basic. I produce theatre, so I know. I am a celebrity, I manage to sell the tickets most of the times. I get full houses. But I still just make ends meet. I just manage to pay my actors a little bit, pay for my production costs and then I’m done. There is no profit,” Kalki added.
Kalki was last seen on screen in a supporting role in the 2023 Netflix film Gaye Hum Kahan. The same year, she had a special dance number in Sam Bahadur.