Kalki Koechlin
Encyclopedia
Kalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress of French descent
who debuted in Anurag Kashyap
's critically acclaimed 2009 Hindi
film Dev.D. She played the character of Chandramukhi in Dev.D, which is a modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali
novella Devdas
and eventually won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for it.
parents in a small village in Pondicherry. Her parents had come to India
38 years ago and settled there after they fell in love with the country. Her parents are devotees of Sri Aurobindo
.
Koechlin was studying in Hebron School, Ooty
when her parents insisted she attend university. Koechlin studied drama and theatre in Goldsmiths, University of London, where she also worked with a theatre company called Theatre of Relativity for two years. She performed in various plays like David Hare
’s The Blue Room, Marivaux
’s The Dispute
and a devised play The Rise of the Wild Hunt in her two year stint with the theatre group.
to try her luck in Hindi cinema. She was doing modeling assignments for television commercials before being shortlisted for the role of Chandramukhi (Chanda) in Dev.D. Koechlin can speak Tamil, English and French while she had to learn Hindi
to prepare for her role in Dev.D. About her role Koechlin said "My character is much younger and there's much more to it than just being a prostitute. When she is not entertaining customers, she dresses up like any other girl in jeans and stuff and leads a normal life. My role in the film has a controversial streak to it, but I still don't know what would have been an ideal role to debut with. I've got the chance to work with a good director in Dev D and I feel I'm lucky enough." Koechlin was apprehensive about how people will judge her after seeing her in the role.
Upon release, her portrayal of the modern Chandramukhi, who goes from an innocent schoolgirl (Leni) to a vivacious prostitute (Chanda) was critically acclaimed saying "Kalki shows sparks in the scenes". Hindustan Times
said, "Enter Chanda, the multilingual call girl who can seduce in Hindi, Tamil, English and French. With her bee-stung lips, unusual face and refreshing lack of acting guile, Kalki Koechlin imbues the part with a touching fragility." For her work in Dev D, she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2010.
Koechlin paired with the actor Imran Khan
for a Coca Cola advertisement. The advert was voted the best of the IPL
by the TOI Advertisement awards. She was then seen in Shaitan and in Zoya Akhtar
's film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
alongside Abhay Deol
, Hrithik Roshan
and Katrina Kaif
. She will be seen next in Kashyap's That Girl in Yellow Boots
and in Ram Gopal Varma
's Happy Journey. Kalki has also helped her husband Anurag Kashyap
to write a 2011 film That Girl in Yellow Boots
.
on April 30, 2011 in a private wedding ceremony in Ooty. The two had been dating each other since the release of Dev.D. Following Dev.D., the two associated in That Girl in Yellow Boots
again, with Kalki working as a co-writer as well.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
who debuted in Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
's critically acclaimed 2009 Hindi
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Dev.D. She played the character of Chandramukhi in Dev.D, which is a modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali
Bengali novels
Bengali novels occupy a major part of Bengali literature. Though the first Bengali novel was "Karuna O Phulmonir Bibaran", the Bengali novel actually started its journey with Durgeshnondini written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1865...
novella Devdas
Devdas
Devdas is a Bengali Romance novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Essentially, it is a retelling of the Krishna, Radha, and Meera myths, the relationships between its three protagonists - Devdas, Parvati, and Chandramukhi - paralleling the Hindu deities'.-Plot summary:Devdas is a young man from...
and eventually won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for it.
Early life
Kalki was born to FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
parents in a small village in Pondicherry. Her parents had come to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
38 years ago and settled there after they fell in love with the country. Her parents are devotees of Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
.
Koechlin was studying in Hebron School, Ooty
Hebron School, Ooty
Hebron School is an independent international Christian school in Ootacamund, the hill station formerly known as Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India...
when her parents insisted she attend university. Koechlin studied drama and theatre in Goldsmiths, University of London, where she also worked with a theatre company called Theatre of Relativity for two years. She performed in various plays like David Hare
David Hare (playwright)
Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
’s The Blue Room, Marivaux
Pierre de Marivaux
Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux , commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French novelist and dramatist....
’s The Dispute
La Dispute
La Dispute is a prose comedy written by Pierre de Marivaux, shown for the first time on 19 October 1744 by the Theatre-Italien in the Hotel de Bourgogne....
and a devised play The Rise of the Wild Hunt in her two year stint with the theatre group.
Film career
Koechlin later decided to move to MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to try her luck in Hindi cinema. She was doing modeling assignments for television commercials before being shortlisted for the role of Chandramukhi (Chanda) in Dev.D. Koechlin can speak Tamil, English and French while she had to learn Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
to prepare for her role in Dev.D. About her role Koechlin said "My character is much younger and there's much more to it than just being a prostitute. When she is not entertaining customers, she dresses up like any other girl in jeans and stuff and leads a normal life. My role in the film has a controversial streak to it, but I still don't know what would have been an ideal role to debut with. I've got the chance to work with a good director in Dev D and I feel I'm lucky enough." Koechlin was apprehensive about how people will judge her after seeing her in the role.
Upon release, her portrayal of the modern Chandramukhi, who goes from an innocent schoolgirl (Leni) to a vivacious prostitute (Chanda) was critically acclaimed saying "Kalki shows sparks in the scenes". Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
said, "Enter Chanda, the multilingual call girl who can seduce in Hindi, Tamil, English and French. With her bee-stung lips, unusual face and refreshing lack of acting guile, Kalki Koechlin imbues the part with a touching fragility." For her work in Dev D, she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2010.
Koechlin paired with the actor Imran Khan
Imran Khan (actor)
Imran Khan is an Indian American film actor. He is the nephew of actor Aamir Khan and producer-director Mansoor Khan.Khan rose to stardom for his debut role in the 2008 blockbuster film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. The film won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut...
for a Coca Cola advertisement. The advert was voted the best of the IPL
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
by the TOI Advertisement awards. She was then seen in Shaitan and in Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
's film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a 2011 Bollywood coming-of-age film, directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment. The film features an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan as Arjun, Abhay Deol as Kabir and Farhan Akhtar as Imraan...
alongside Abhay Deol
Abhay Deol
Abhay Deol is an Indian actor from Mumbai, India. He is an Indian film actor and producer whose family has a long history in the Hindi film industry. Deol has appeared in films such as Dev.D and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. He is the nephew of Bollywood actor Dharmendra, and the cousin of Sunny Deol and...
, Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...
and Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif is a British Indian actress and former model who appears in Indian films, mainly in the Hindi-language film industry. She has also appeared in Telugu and Malayalam films. She was voted the sexiest Asian woman in the world by Eastern Eye in the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011...
. She will be seen next in Kashyap's That Girl in Yellow Boots
That Girl in Yellow Boots
That Girl in Yellow Boots is a 2011 Indian thriller film by director Anurag Kashyap, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, followed by Venice Film Festival after it played in several festivals...
and in Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer...
's Happy Journey. Kalki has also helped her husband Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
to write a 2011 film That Girl in Yellow Boots
That Girl in Yellow Boots
That Girl in Yellow Boots is a 2011 Indian thriller film by director Anurag Kashyap, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, followed by Venice Film Festival after it played in several festivals...
.
Personal life
She married filmmaker Anurag KashyapAnurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
on April 30, 2011 in a private wedding ceremony in Ooty. The two had been dating each other since the release of Dev.D. Following Dev.D., the two associated in That Girl in Yellow Boots
That Girl in Yellow Boots
That Girl in Yellow Boots is a 2011 Indian thriller film by director Anurag Kashyap, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, followed by Venice Film Festival after it played in several festivals...
again, with Kalki working as a co-writer as well.
Awards
She won The Hindu Metro Plus Playwright Award 2009 along with Prashant Prakash for their co-authored entry Skeleton Woman. She had also acted in the play Hair directed by Ajay Krishnan. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in her debut film Dev.D.Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dev.D | Chandramukhi | Winner, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2010 | The Film Emotional Atyachar | Sophie | |
| 2011 | Shaitan Shaitan (film) Shaitan is a 2011 Hindi thriller film, directed by Bejoy Nambiar starring Rajeev Khandelwal, Kalki Koechlin, Gulshan Devaiya, Shiv Pandit, Neil Bhoopalam, Kirti Kulhari, Rajit Kapoor, Pawan Malhotra and Raj Kumar Yadav. The film was released on June 10, 2011... |
Amrita Jayshankar | |
| Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a 2011 Bollywood coming-of-age film, directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment. The film features an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan as Arjun, Abhay Deol as Kabir and Farhan Akhtar as Imraan... |
Natasha | ||
| That Girl in Yellow Boots That Girl in Yellow Boots That Girl in Yellow Boots is a 2011 Indian thriller film by director Anurag Kashyap, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, followed by Venice Film Festival after it played in several festivals... |
Ruth | Also Writer | |
| My Friend Pinto My Friend Pinto My Friend Pinto is a 2011 Bollywood film shot directed by Raaghav Dar and starring Prateik Babbar, Kalki Koechlin, Arjun Mathur, Shruti Seth, Makrand Deshpande, Raj Zutshi and Divya Dutta. The film is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Sanjay Leela Bhansali... |
Maggie | ||
| 2012 | Shanghai Shanghai (2011 film) Shanghai is an upcoming Hindi political thriller film directed by Dibakar Banerjee, and starring Emraan Hashmi, Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Pitobash. The film is currently being shot in Maharashtra. Based on the life of Politicians and their greed, it is scheduled for... |
Release On January 26, 2012 |