This actress was a waitress, mistook her for a drug dealer, endured physical bullying, and is now the owner of

One of the best actors working in the business now is Kalki Koechlin. She was born in India and rose to fame with her role in Dev.D (2009). She went on to achieve success with songs like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011).

But did you know that since she is not of Indian descent, her career as an actor has not always been easy? On January 10, 1984, Kalki Koechlin was born in Pondicherry, India, to French parents. Her early years were spent in Kallatty, Tamil Nadu, and then in Auroville. She stayed with her mother after her parents’ divorce and went to Hebron School in Ooty. She worked with a theatrical group while studying drama in London, and after returning to India, she settled in Mumbai to continue her acting career.

The actress spoke about how it feels to be an outsider in her conversation with the Humans of Bombay. “I had an amazing childhood,” she said. I never really paid much attention to the fact that I was “white.” It took me a while to feel like an outsider. Growing up, I became aware of the distinction. People would approach me to purchase drugs when I was a teenager and my buddies and I went to the beach. In addition, I couldn’t shake the persistent worry that I was being approached because I didn’t adhere to Indian traditions.

“I eventually landed my first job in DevD after several attempts. However, that did not ensure further employment. I had no proposals for two years. However, I persisted in creating and performing in my own plays, and in 2011 I had four film releases,” the woman said.

She was married to Anurag Kashyap, but they split when their marriage failed. “The struggles never really end,” she said. The rumors were something I had to cope with after my divorce. The media assumed we were dating every time I went out with a guy. Journalists would inquire about my life after the divorce and how I was managing and juggling my work. Such queries would even be posed to my parents by worried neighbors. However, I decided to disregard it.