Kalki Koechlin's debut as a director on stage

Kalki Koechlin is in the middle of a hundred things, from composing music and checking out costumes to supervising sets and directing actors.

READ: Kalki Koechlin launches own theatre company

The Living Room, her directorial debut on stage, opens in Bangalore in two weeks and the actress has dived into the deep end with her usual zest. Around two years ago, she penned a three-four page conversation between Death and an old woman who is in a strange surreal space, about to die but unwilling to exit the world. "Last year, when I was unemployed for six months, I started fleshing out the story. It turned into a comedy on life and death," she says.

Kalki admits that she Kalki admits that has always been intrigued by questions about life, death and afterlife. "It's ironic that we give so much importance to everything when this journey is so transient," the actress philosophies It's a serious subject treated in a light-hearted manner and Kalki's enjoying every moment away from the spotlight.

Prod her on why she's not acting in the play and she reasons, "There's no role for me. I can't play an old woman, can I? So I just went to my ideal cast and fortunately for me, Neil Bhoopalam (he plays Death), Sheeba Chaddha (she's Mrs Anna Nil, the old woman), Jim Sarbh (Nil's grandson Born) and Tariq Vasudeva (a doctor) gave me the nod after a reading."

Has her ex-husband, Anurag Kashyap, helped her with directorial tips? "I won't answer that, I'm tired of questions on Anurag," she grouses, but eventually admits that Anurag isn't a part of this play. So, is it going to be a film next? "I'm not technically educated in filmmaking so unless I assist someone first, I am not capable of making a film. But I have studied theatre."

The play travels to Delhi next and Mumbai in November.

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