Kalki Koechlin says many actors own Audis but live in 1BHKs ‘for image’: ‘I was denied entry at an award show for arriving in a Swift’

Kalki Koechlin opened up about how actors spend lavishly on image building, revealing that many arrive in Audis but live in tiny 1BHK flats just to maintain a public image.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | May 15, 2025 05:54 PM IST

3 min read

Kalki Koechlin opens up on actors spending loads of money on image building. (Pic: Aleena Dissects/YT)

Apart from proving their mettle in acting, Bollywood actors often have to build a certain image to gain visibility, which eventually leads to more work. In a recent interaction, Kalki Koechlin revealed that while she personally refuses to resort to such measures to get ahead, she has seen her contemporaries spend lavishly on image-building, even at the cost of sacrificing other needs. She also admitted to being stopped multiple times at tan awards event for not arriving in a fancy car.

Speaking on the YouTube channel Aleena Dissects, Kalki said, “For years I reached the Filmfare award in my Swift and my dress would be bigger than the car. They wouldn’t let my car go inside the venue and they would stop it, and then I would have to show my invite and tell them, ‘It’s me.'”

Kalki shared that such experiences never deterred her from living life on her own terms. She said, “It’s just who I am and the freedom and everything else that I want in life. I don’t want that because I want to be spontaneous with my life and just do things on my own. When you don’t have an entourage there is less chance to be spotted, and it is less likely for 100 people to follow you. The only problem is airports. I have dedicated that 1.5 hour at the airport to my fans because it is back-to-back selfies.”

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When asked whether PR and image-building are important for actors to stay relevant, and whether her choices affect her opportunities, she said, “It is important to a certain degree. If you are a big actor, safety is a big issue, there are some crazy people out there especially after big stars, so I understand the need for some people to have bodyguards and PR.”

Speaking about the extremes some actors go to for maintaining an image, she added, “I know people who live in a tiny 1BHK but they have an Audi. They will come to meetings in an Audi with a driver but they live in a tiny hole. But for me, freedom is really important. I too spend money but on living in a beautiful house in Goa and flying to and fro to Mumbai. I spend all my money there.”

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