Kalki Koechlin says people tried to shame her for 'getting pregnant out of wedlock': It’s a term used in 18th century

Kalki Koechlin recalled being pressurised to get married when she was young, defended getting pregnant while she was unmarried.

Actor Kalki Koechlin is known for speaking her mind, and in a recent conversation with Zoom, she reflected on her own journey and opened up about the subtle pressure from her family to marry when she was younger. She also recalled the uproar she faced when she got pregnant outside of marriage.

Kalki Koechlin on getting pregnant out of wedlock.

Kalki Koechlin on her pregnancy

Kalki revealed that her family did pressurise her to get married when she was young, but she didn’t feel it too strongly. She further talked about getting pregnant and said, “It’s one of those things which I know isn’t a big deal. But for a lot of people, it is. When I got pregnant and wasn’t married, it was such a big deal! They were like, ‘How did you get pregnant out of wedlock?’ It’s a term used in the 18th century! What are you, in a Shakespeare play? I don’t understand it.”

She added, “Yeah, I was living with my partner. We were together, we’d been together for years. We had a baby, it’s normal. That’s what happens. We do sleep together, by the way (laughs). We are living together, so it happens. I feel we’re living these lies in society sometimes, where we pretend these things don’t happen. We have a huge population, right? So these things do happen."

In 2019, Kalki confirmed she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend, Israeli musician Guy Hershberg. The couple welcomed their daughter, Sappho, in 2020. Kalki and Guy have since gotten married. She was previously married to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.

Kalki Koechlin’s upcoming film

Kalki will next be seen in the English-language film Emma and Angel. The film tells a story of hope, survival, and friendship, and follows a speech-impaired writer trapped under the debris of an earthquake, whose only hope of survival is her dog. The release date of the film is yet to be announced.