Kalki Koechlin: Skin colour still dictates the kind of role an actor gets

Actor Kalki Koechlin feels that discrimination over an actor’s complexion is still prevalent in the film industry

While many believe that it is a great time to be an actor in India because of the ample opportunities on various mediums, actor Kalki Koechlin says skin colour still dictates the kind of role an actor is offered, as she has experienced it first-hand.

Kalki Koechlin

The 38-year-old, who has been working intermittently during the last two years due to her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter, Sappho, rues that discrimination over an actor’s complexion is still prevalent in the film industry. Revealing that she has got typecast in the rich girl image, despite her varied roles, Koechlin says, “I have had a director say to me, ‘I think you will completely ace this role because you play a psychotic in it’. That’s the kind of perception people have of me, and I feel quite frustrated. Obviously because of the colour of my skin, I can only play these upper-class characters.”

The actor, who has been a part of films such as Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Margarita With A Straw (2014), among others, says that one has to detach themselves to get out of this cycle. She adds that the situation is the same for many artistes. “I know of an actor with a dusky complexion who is always given the role of a maid. That frustrates her. Everyone has been put into boxes. I am waiting for the right role to come my way so that I can challenge myself,” says Koechlin, who is excited about her next film, Goldfish, in which she plays veteran actor Deepti Naval’s daughter, where she plays daughter to actor Deepti Naval, suffering from dementia.

It is roles like these which allow her freedom to experiment, she admits. But it was a risk as the film didn’t have a producer on board when she was offered the film. Isn’t it scary, diving into a project which seems dicey from the start? Koechlin says it is indeed difficult. “You have to pick your battles. I don’t do it every time. If it was an unknown director, I wouldn’t have probably. I had seen his first film, so I was in good hands. As an actor, you are greedy for these type of roles where you get to dissect characters, go deep into the role. When you have one, you jump on it,” she says.