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Kalki Koechlin Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth10 January 1984

Age41 Years

BirthplacePondicherry (Puducherry)

ProfessionActress, Screenwriter

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGuy Hershberg

FamilyFather - Joel Koechlin; Mother - Françoise Armandie; Brother - Oriel Koechlin

Kalki Koechlin Biography

Kalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress and screenwriter known for her debut in Dev D (2009). Born in Pondicherry and raised in Ooty, she trained in drama

Early life and background

Kalki Koechlin was born on 10 January 1984 in Pondicherry (Puducherry) and spent her formative years in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. She attended Hebron School in Ooty before moving abroad to study drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London. She is of French parentage and comes from a family with an engineering legacy: her great-grandfather Maurice Koechlin was involved with the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

Physical presence and languages

Kalki stands around 170 cm (approximately 5'7") and maintains a slim on-screen profile. She has light brown hair and amber eyes. Multilingual, she is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Tamil, which has informed both her stage and screen work.

Career

Kalki made her film debut in the 2009 release Dev D and has pursued parallel careers as an actress and as a writer. In addition to screen roles, she has written for the screen: she co-wrote the film That Girl in Yellow Boots with Anurag Kashyap. Her work in theatre also extends to playwriting; she co-wrote the play Skeleton Woman with Prashant Prakash and received the MetroPlus Playwright award for that work in 2009.

Her training in drama and theatre, combined with her multilingual abilities, has allowed her to work across different media and genres. She has named influences and favourites within cinema and acting, including actors such as Raj Kapoor and Kamal Haasan, and actresses such as Rekha and Kalpana. Films she cites among her favourites include Dev D, Water and Dweepa.

Public profile

Kalki has been open about aspects of her personal life in interviews and on social media. She has discussed relationships publicly and has collaborated professionally with people she has been close to, including co-writing with Anurag Kashyap. She has described personal interests such as dancing and reading and has spoken about food preferences that include pista, pizza and various cuisines.

Kalki's family background and upbringing have been part of public conversations about her: her parents are Françoise Armandie and Joel Koechlin, and she has a brother named Oriel Koechlin. Her multicultural upbringing — with French parents who lived in India — has been a recurring theme in profiles of her life and work.

Personal life

Kalki's marital history includes a marriage to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap from 2011 until their divorce in 2015. She later entered a relationship with Israeli classical pianist Guy Hershberg; the couple confirmed their marriage. She and Hershberg became parents to a daughter, Sappho, who was born on 7 February 2020. In 2019 she publicly shared that she was pregnant and indicated her intention to pursue a water birth.

Other notes

Kalki does not smoke and does drink alcohol. She maintains an engaged presence on social platforms and has shared details about cultural exchanges in her relationships, such as learning each other’s cuisines and languages. Her background and career span film, theatre and writing, and she remains recognized for both acting and creative contributions.

Latest updates

In October 2024 Kalki spoke in an interview about past relationships and confirmed her marriage to Guy Hershberg. Earlier public statements and Instagram posts have also detailed aspects of her private life, including the cross-cultural dynamics of her relationship with Hershberg and preparations for parenthood.
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Recent Work

Dev D

Film debut

2009
That Girl in Yellow Boots

Co-writer (co-written with Anurag Kashyap)

Skeleton Woman (play)

Co-writer; won MetroPlus Playwright award in 2009

2009
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Career Highlights

  1. Film debut in Dev D (2009)
  2. Co-wrote That Girl in Yellow Boots
  3. MetroPlus Playwright award (2009) for Skeleton Woman
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Kalki Koechlin born?

10 January 1984

What is Kalki Koechlin known for?

Actress, Screenwriter

What is Kalki Koechlin’s marital status?

Married

Who is Kalki Koechlin married to?

Guy Hershberg