actor Kalki Koechlin Recently, she met a film producer at a casual lunch who suggested she use makeup to fill her laugh lines, which made her uncomfortable. Kalki revealed that while the comment angered her, she chose to handle the situation with humor rather than confrontation.Recalling the incident, Kalki said the conversation initially revolved around the producer’s former partner, an actress. “I remember sitting with a producer at lunch and he was talking about his ex, who was a beautiful actress. He said she had too much Botox, like she was a little too crazy and looked really bad,” she said in an interview with Lilly Singh.She then shared how producers unexpectedly turned the conversation to her appearance. “Then he looked at me and said, ‘You know, you should fill your laugh lines.'”Although Kalki laughed off the remark at the time, she admitted that it deeply disturbed her. “So I remember boiling inside, but trying to make a joke. But also looking at him sternly. He stopped after that and didn’t talk about it. But that’s the way people have it. It’s just these subtle ways in which people make comments like that.”When Lilly Singh asked her if she regretted not confronting producers more directly, Kalki said she had no such regrets. Instead, she translated the experience into the story of her stage play “I’m OK,” which explores motherhood and the postpartum experience.“I included this story in my performance and it resonated so strongly with women. They knew exactly what I was talking about,” she said.Explaining why she chose not to react immediately, Kalki noted that not all situations allow for direct confrontation. “Forget about work. We have people in our family who we disagree with politically. We have to have dinner with them. We have to hear them say some things that we may not agree with. And then we swallow the food and move on, because you have to pick your battles.”She added that while some conversations can be addressed privately later, that option isn’t always possible. “There are places where you can let it out. There are places where now is not the time. Maybe in a private setting, you could say to that uncle, ‘Hey, I get a little uneasy when you talk about women or politics or whatever. ‘But there are some situations where you just can’t do it. “During the conversation, Kalki also touched on the gender pay gap in the entertainment industry, saying it can be frustrating to find male counterparts with similar experience receiving significantly higher salaries. “Of course, with the salary, you find that you’ve been in the industry just as long as your colleagues, your male colleagues, but they’re being paid much more, whereas you’ve been getting the same salary for the past few years.“She explains that many women in the industry now rely on each other by openly discussing wages, production plants and work experiences. “I have a very strong community of girls and we are a strong group. We talk about everything out there, share what the production team is doing, how much they are charging, and what they are working on. “Kalki said these conversations can also help women identify unsafe work environments and individuals. “‘Watch out for this guy. He’s a scumbag.’ That’s another way that women have always been. I think, you know, we call it gossip, but it’s really about solidarity. It’s community. It’s about supporting each other and getting to know each other. “She concluded by saying that this support helps women make informed decisions before signing up for a program. “Even if you decide you’re doing something you don’t completely agree with, you know what’s going to happen because people have been telling you what it is and you’re prepared. It makes a big difference.”Kalki Koechlin made her acting debut in 2009 with “Dev D” and has won accolades for her performances in films like “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”, “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”, “Straw Margarita”, “Waiting” and “Gully Boy”.
