Bollywood Actress Kalki Koechlin: Was Denied Entry Into Filmfare Awards Because I Arrived In Maruti Swift
Bollywood's penchant for luxury, lifestyle and expensive cars is no secret. Many A-list B-town celebs own multi-crore garages. Even upcoming actors and budding stars own luxury cars, and regard them as part of their lives and careers. A recent remark by Kalki Koechlin reveals how vehicles used by celebrities form an integral part of their own branding and image building. Speaking with Aleena Dissects, she also explained the industry's growing influence of entourage culture.
The 41-year-old actress is noted for her roles in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. She had made her entry into Bollywood through Anurag Kashyap's Dev. D. Despite playing remarkable roles in these superhit movies, Kalki has maintained a private personal life and avoided splurging on cars. She has in fact, kept her garage extremely modest.
Kalki says that she was often stopped at the gates of the prestigious Filmfare awards because she came in a humble Maruti Swift instead of a swanky luxury car.
“For years, I arrived at the Filmfare Awards in my Swift, and my dress would be bigger than the car,” she said, remembering the moment. “People would stop the vehicle and wouldn’t let it enter the venue, and then I had to show my invite and say, ‘It’s me.’”
Kalki’s experience reflects the superficial standards often expected of stars in Bollywood. The interviewer then asks if not following the flashy B-town culture, and choosing a humble set of wheels have in some way, limited her opportunities. The actress doesn't rule out the possibilities.
Later in the video, Kalki also talks about how actors consider spending on expensive cars critical for their own growth. She says that she knows actors who live in a 1BHK, but prefer to be chauffeured around in their Audis. “They’ll show up to meetings in an Audi with a driver, but they live in a small hole.”- said the actress.
Kalki, however, prefers to invest in a good home and simple life pleasures. Talking about this, she says: “I do spend money — but on living in a beautiful house in Goa and flying back and forth to Mumbai. That’s where all my money goes.”
We last saw Kalki in Nesippaya, directed by Vishnuvardhan. The movie had her alongside Akash Murali, Aditi Shankar, R. Sarathkumar, Prabhu, and Khushbu. In the time ahead, she'll make an appearance in English movie- Emma and Angel. Today, she is among the most authentic and grounded voices of Bollywood. She is often known for choosing real over glossy, and freedom over facade.
Multi-Crore Bollywood Garages: A Closer Look At Them
Bollywood loves cars and the swag they bring along. We have over the years, reported about many A-list stars buying cars and SUVs worth crores. From Emran Hashmi's new Rolls Royce Ghost Black Badge worth 12.25 crores, to the Bachchan family's Defender SUVs and Salman Khan's bulletproof convoy (which interestingly includes Range Rover, Patrol and more), there's a lot to cite as examples.
The female actors fall no behind in building multi-crore garages. Urvashi Rautela owns a 12-Crore Cullinan, Shraddha Kapoor has a Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica, Kangana Ranaut owns two Maybachs, and Tamanna Bhatia's new Range Rover Velar are all examples.
Some celebrities also have a thing for modified vehicles, and own some crazy builds. B-Town garages sometimes have humble cars as well. Fardeen Khan, for example, was the first in the industry to buy a Suzuki Jimny, Salman Khan owns a Maruti XL6, and Shraddha Kapoor has a Swift! John Abraham, recently took delivery of a brand-new Thar ROXX.