Kalki Koechlin returns to theatres with ‘Goldfish’: It’s a movie with raw humour, heart warming emotions

New Delhi, July 26 Actress Kalki Koechlin is ‘excited’ to mark her return to the theatres with ‘Goldfish’, after four years, saying it is an international movie with raw humour and heartwarming emotions.

Set in London, ‘Goldfish’ deals with memory, music, mental health, and identity. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin, and Rajit Kapur, with some actors from the UK – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra, and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.

Kalki was last seen in the 2019 Hindi movie ‘Gully Boy’, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. She also starred in the 2020 Tamil anthology drama ‘Paava Kadhaigal’, in the segment ‘Love Panna Uttranum’ as Penelope.

On September 30, 2019, Kalki confirmed her pregnancy with her boyfriend, Guy Hershberg, an Israeli musician. Their daughter was born on February 7, 2020, through water birth.

Talking about her experience of working on ‘Goldfish’, and her return to theatres after four years, Kalki said: “It is exciting to be back on screen, with such a beautiful film ‘Goldfish’, after a long hiatus from acting due to motherhood and Covid.”

“Interestingly, in the tradition of art imitating life, the film also explores a mother-daughter relationship during the Covid lockdown, played by Deepti Naval and myself respectively. It is an international movie with raw humor and heartwarming emotions that will reach out to all of us who’ve struggled with our parents, our children, or our identity,” added Kalki.

The film had its world premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, held in October 2022. It also had a gala premiere at the 53rd International Film Festival of India, Goa; East Coast Premiere in New York Indian Film Festival 2023; and a Texas premiere at the Indie Meme Film Festival 2023.

Speaking about presenting the film to the Indian audience, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Kalki’s ex-husband, shared, “I saw ‘Goldfish’ at the Busan International Film Festival and I was so moved by the film. The relationship between Kalki and Deepti, with some brilliant writing and performances, directed with so much nuance, all the incredible supporting performances.”

“It’s a beautiful film and I am thrilled to present it. I am so happy that after traveling across the world to so many festivals, it’s finally coming to the audiences in India,” added Kashyap.

Anamika (Kalki Koechlin), the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana (Deepti Naval) because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Anamika returns to a neighborhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn’t remember her.

Speaking about her journey in the film, Deepti said: “’Goldfish’ is a perfect cinema that any artist would want to be a part of. It tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship and delves into the complexities of human nature and how circumstances mold individual relationships.”

“The importance of a community and the love people offer is highlighted in the film through the stellar performances of Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra, and Shanaya Rafaat. It was a treat to work with Kalki and to see the script come to life through the lens of Pushan. I cannot wait for audiences to experience this work of art,” added the senior actress.

A Splendid Films production, produced by Amit Saxena, the film will be released in theatres in multiple cities across India, and the US on August 25.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kalki also has ‘Made In Heaven 2’, which will be streaming from August 10, on Prime Video.