Kalki Koechlin reveals that a producer once asked her to get cosmetic fillers for her laugh lines: “He was talking about his ex-girlfriend who was a beautiful actress, and she did a lot of Botox.”

Actress Kalki Koechlin recently spoke out about an uncomfortable encounter with a film producer who suggested she get cosmetic fillers for her laugh lines during a casual lunch meeting. Kalki revealed that although the comment made her angry, she chose to handle the situation with humor instead of confrontation.Recalling the incident, Kalki said the conversation initially revolved around the actress, the producer’s former partner. “I remember sitting with a producer and having lunch and he was talking about his ex-wife, who is a beautiful actress. And he was saying she had used too much Botox, like she had gone a little crazy and it looked really bad,” she said in an interview with Lilly Singh.

She then shared how the producer unexpectedly turned the conversation toward her appearance.

“Then he looked at me and said, ‘You know, you should get fillers for your laugh lines.'”Although she laughed at the remark at the time, Kalki admitted that it bothered her greatly. “So I remember I was boiling inside, but I was trying to make a joke out of him. But I was also looking at him sternly. And then he stopped and wouldn’t talk about it. But those are just those ways that people have it. It’s just these subtle ways people slip in comments like that.”

When Lilly Singh asked if she regretted not confronting the producer directly, Kalki said she had no regrets. Instead, she turned the experience into a story for her stage show “I’m Fine,” which explores the experiences of motherhood and postpartum.“I included this story in the show and it resonates so much with women. They know exactly what I’m talking about,” she said.Explaining why she chose not to respond immediately, Kalki pointed out that not every situation allows for direct confrontation.

“Forget work. We have people in our family with whom we disagree politically. We have to have dinner with them. We have to hear them say something that maybe we don’t agree with. We swallow our food and keep moving forward because we have to pick and choose our battles.”She added that while some conversations can be addressed later in private, that option is not always available. “There are places where you can allow that.

There are places where now is not the right time. Maybe in a private situation, you could talk to that uncle and say, “Hey, I was a little upset when you said that about women or politics or whatever.” But there are also situations where you can’t do that.”During the conversation, Kalki also spoke about the gender pay gap in the entertainment industry, saying that it can be disheartening to discover that their male counterparts with similar experience are paid much higher salaries.

“Of course, with the salary, you find out that you’ve been in the industry as long as your colleague, a male colleague, but they get paid a lot more and I’ve been paid the same amount over the past years.

“She explained that many women in the industry now lean on each other by openly discussing salaries, production roles, and workplace experiences. “I have a very strong girls community and we are a strong group.

We talk about everything out there and share what production companies do, how much they charge, and what they do.According to Kalki, these conversations also help women identify unsafe work environments and individuals. “‘Be careful of this one. He’s corrupt.’ This is also another way that women have always had. I think, you know, we call it gossip, but it’s actually a kind of solidarity. It’s the community.

“It’s supporting each other and being aware.”She concluded by saying that such support helps women make informed decisions before signing on to projects. “And even if you make the decision that you’re working on something that you’re not completely on board with, but you know what’s going to happen because people tell you what it is, you’re ready for it. It makes a big difference.”Kalki Koechlin made her acting debut with the film ‘Dev D’ in 2009 and has since received praise for her performances in films including ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Margarita with a Straw’, ‘Waiting’ and ‘Gully Boy’.