“Every Time I’m Called ‘Unconventional’, I’m Like, ‘What Does That Mean?’”: Kalki Koechlin

Over the years, one of the labels Kalki has earned herself is ‘unconventional’. It is an insignia that has stayed with her, stemming from a carefree upbringing in a small village near Pondicherry, to every ‘non-conformist’ film that sits in the actor’s roster, to how she has always looked somewhat ‘different’ from the other ‘Bollywood girls’. And now, a quick Google search will throw up the adjective again, in regards to her “decision to have a baby out of wedlock”. For the record, Kalki is somewhat amused by the ‘unconventional’ tag that is routinely ascribed to her. “I mean, I don’t find the term offensive or anything, but every time I hear it, I’m like, ‘What does that mean?’” she laughs. “Yes, I can be quirky, I can be serious, I can be funny... Every person is multi-faceted, and labelling someone is stereotyping them.” 

As for the matter of a child out of ‘wedlock’, Kalki says the term itself is an anachronism in modern times. “I mean, ‘wedlock’ is just so Shakespearean—I’m like, ‘Oh God, it has nothing to do with the 21st Century!’ Yes, a lot of people ask why Guy and I didn’t get married before having Sappho, but I really don’t feel some terrible social pressure to do it. Thankfully, both our families are very supportive. And they are not expecting us to tie the knot at any point...but to do it whenever we feel comfortable,” she reveals. “Yes, there will always be a few people online who will troll you and be like, ‘Oh, first she got divorced and then she got pregnant outside of marriage’, but none of that has stopped me from living a happy life.”

From the outside, Kalki certainly looks happy. I remember her from our last cover shoot, wonderfully professional, but also a little on-edge and in a hurry to get done so she could leave for her next appointment. Today, Kalki seems less guarded. More...smile-y. 
“My current state of mind has its ups and downs,” she reveals. “On some days, I’m really excited...there’s always something new that Sappho has done. These days, she has started crawling backwards. That’s her thing, she has learnt how to get into ‘reverse gear’ and she can’t crawl forward, only backwards. And she has also been practising yoga with me... I mean, she’s not doing yoga, but she sits on the yoga mat with me and tries to copy me. It’s very cute!”