Kalki Koechlin is seven films and 28 years old, but she seems to be the actress to watch out for. In Hyderabad to promote her latest film, That Girl in Yellow Boots and to stage her play The Real Inspector Hound, Kalki is not worried about audience response. About That Girl in Yellow Boots being for a mature audience, she says, “We underestimate our youth, they are downloading and watching world cinema and are a part of a larger form of cinema than that of pure entertainment.

Youth in their 20s and 30s are a very matured audience.” “Hyderabad audiences are ready to watch world cinema,” she feels. Kalki has been busy jet-setting across the world and has had no time to enjoy her marriage. But her husband and director, Anurag Kasyap, tries to spend as much time as he can travelling with her.

“Yes, it’s hectic but as we both work in similar professions we can understand and when I have time, I go on to Anurag’s set and vice versa. Also, it helps that we both love our jobs so it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice,” says Kalki. The actor says she enjoys dark roles, comedy and drama, although she would not like to limit herself to just that. But, she does accept she could never find herself playing a “Bihari gaon wali ladki” or endorsing a fairness cream.

She adds, “It doesn’t make sense for me to endorse fairness creams because I’m born Caucasian. There’s so much importance attached to being fair in this country and to me that has nothing to do with beauty.” As far as the gaon-ki-chori role is concerned, she says she would “never fit the look or the dialect”.

The actress, who has finally come face-to-face with actor Naseeruddin Shah in her film, says that it was an honour to work with him. “Naseer bhai is a very focused actor. He can be quite intimidating because he always looks you straight in the eye.’ So, what happened to her Bagwati in Zindagi Na Mile Dobara? “Sadly Bagwati was returned to Hermes after the shoot, but personally I like Gucci,” she said, adding that she has only one designer bag. An honest confession for a celeb, who is often spotted in heels and flaunting branded clothes. “Stilettos and designer clothes are great, but are impractical in Mumbai weather and for my mad schedule I prefer chappals and loose cotton dresses or tees,” says she, confessing that, “I’m not very prim and proper.”