Kalki Koechlin is a lucky girl. After playing Chandramukhi in director-beau Anurag Kashyap's Dev D, she is acting in the play Skeleton Woman, which is being produced by him.
Kalki Koechlin is a lucky girl. After playing Chandramukhi in director-beau Anurag Kashyap's Dev D, she is acting in the play Skeleton Woman, which is being produced by him.
Anurag says proudly, "It's a two-character play written by Kalki and Prashant (acting opposite her) and directed by Prashant's girlfriend Nayan-tara Kotian. We had seven shows in Mumbai and they all went housefull."
|
|
Finishing it: Kalki and Prashant rehearsing for the play |
Refreshing, they sayHe adds, "We hadn't accounted for this unprecedented demand. People like Vishal Bhardwaj, Irrfan Khan, Sudhir Mishra, Saurav Shukla and Kaizad Gustad loved it. Kaizad said it was one of the most refreshing plays he's seen. They've also been asked to stage it in Chennai and Pondicherry.
So it's safe to assume that the happy producer is raking in the moolah? "Of course! Every time the play is staged, I stand at the exit after it's over, soaking in the compliments as the actors are busy backstage. I am very proud of the team. We complement each other so much that Prashant, Kalki and I are all collaborating on another film of mine called Happy Ending."
Skeleton Woman is inspired from a folk tale from the book Women Who Run With The Wolves, which Anurag had gifted Kalki when she was auditioning for Dev D, "It's the story of a writer and his wife and how he writes unfinished stories. I read Kalki's play and decided to produce it." It has already won the Best Playwright Award given by a prominent southern newspaper."
Now, I can...This is Anurag's first foray into theatre as a producer, "Yes I am in a position to produce now, as I have a little money to spare. It's a great play. My home had become a rehearsal hall before it was staged. Dev D today has given me the opportunity to do new things. I have people coming to me with great ideas.
People ask me to direct films for them as I am very economical and make low-budget films. The last eight years that I have gone through hell has been worth all the happiness and success that I am enjoying today."
We're still togetherCommenting on the recent rumours of his split with Kalki, he says. "No way in hell will that happen! Kalki and I are so happy that we don't even fight. Some magazine linked her up with Prashant, her co-writer and actor. There is an age difference between us but I know all her friends as they hang out at my place. I'm not an insecure boyfriend or stalker who wants to know what she's doing every minute. She has her own life as I have mine. I don't go out for parties but she can do that anytime. I don't restrict her for anything."
