Actress Kalki Koechlin, who started her career with Anurag Kashyap’s film Devdi, recently talked about the challenges she faced at the beginning of her career. Despite receiving appreciation for her role in Devadi, Kalki did not get any other acting roles for two years.

In conversation with After Hours with All About Eve, Kalki described this period as a significant downfall in her professional journey. He told that after Devdi, his next film was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. He said, “Right after Dev D, I didn’t have any other film for almost two years. I think the next film was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

During this two-year gap, Kalki remained engaged in theater work, producing a play for which she received an award of Rs 1 lakh. Discussing how she managed her finances, Kalki revealed that she depended on affordable food like vada pav and used local trains to commute. She recalled how people would often express surprise upon seeing her on public transport, questioning why she was without a bodyguard, highlighting the gap between public perception and her reality.

“People know me and see my face and everyone is really familiar with me, but then they’re really surprised to see me on public transportation. They say, ‘How can you not live with a bodyguard?’ Like it’s this weird dichotomy, where somehow I’ve got an image that’s bigger than who I really am,” she said.

Kalki admitted that she has evolved since those early days and is now more discerning about the work she accepts. She candidly admitted that she took some jobs only for financial reasons, especially for corporate events. He explained that these engagements are transactional, where his presence is desired for his public image, and he receives monetary compensation in return.