‘I PREFER GOA OVER A VANITY VAN’
Kalki Koechlin says shooting in Goa was exciting and tough at the same time, adds that in a web show, not just lead actors, but every character gets enough attention
Kalki Koechlin is back on screen with her new web series, Smoke. The actor feels this is a good time for actors as the digital boom has opened up new and exciting avenues for them. She talks about the show, her podcast venture and effects of shooting in Goa.
Many actors are jumping on the digital bandwagon due to the digital boom. What were your reasons to do a web series?
This is an exciting time for actors for sure. The content is growing at a fast rate and many platforms are asking for different kind of content which gives a lot of opportunities to actors. Also, even if you are not playing the lead in a web series, characters get enough attention as they are used well in a ten-episode web series as opposed to a three-hour long film. In my web series, Smoke, I saw a tricky, realistic kind of interpretation of Goa, which included all the sides of the holiday destination including parties, the Mafia that runs the system, drug deals, the struggle of the narcotics department, and the politicians taking advantage of things. It’s a diverse depiction of Goa.
Was it tougher to shoot in a scenic and chill location like Goa? Shooting in Goa was good but hard as well as we shot at night mostly. I had fun shooting this intense working experience. Moreover, all my co-stars were my friends so, it was enjoyable and the added benefit of shooting in Goa was that I could wake up, go for a swim in the ocean and then head out to
This is an exciting time for actors. The content is growing at a fast rate and many platforms are asking for different kind of content which gives a lot of opportunities. KALKI KOECHLIN, ACTOR
work. Of course, when you are working, you are focusing only on work. After a couple of weeks, you realise you are not enjoying the place yet, I prefer it over sitting in a vanity van in a studio in Mumbai.
Of late, we haven’t seen much of you on screen. Is that deliberate?
No. I think, there are times when you have back-to-back releases and then, at times, you don’t. We shot for Smoke a while ago but it was streamed recently. I am shooting for two filmsHaathi Mere Sathi and Gully Boy now. I have other things to keep me busy like the podcast that I’m doing currently and theatre.
Tell us about the podcast.
I am definitely enjoying my podcast because I get the chance to meet such a variety of people from different strata of society. It has been very enlightening for me as they come and share their stories. I try to
ease them into the conversation with a casual chat rather than dive directly into the controversial or juicy part of their stories. Sharing stories without a camera allows people anonymity and to be a bit less guarded, I suppose. It has been quite an interesting experience.