Rockstar Papa Ki Rockstar Beti: Meet Kalki and Her Dad Joel

Kalki Koechlin’s father Joel raised his daughter to be tough. From a young age, she could change tyres, ski and fly a microlight.

And though the actor’s busy life leaves little room for them to meet (she lives in Mumbai while he is based out of Bengaluru), they did come together to shoot a show, Kalki’s Great Escape on Fox Life, where the father-daughter duo travel throughout the North East on their respective motorbikes.

For Joel, this was a better proposition since as a kid, Kalki would ride pillion with him, but this time, he had the bike all to himself.

Though Kalki’s parents divorced when she was fifteen, the bond between them has remained strong. Joel says:

It is a natural bond which has continued to evolve over the years, during the different periods of our lives. I had my ups, my downs, she has also had difficulties sometimes. But that bond remains, it is something steady.

Joel Koechlin, Photographer and Actor 

A candid Joel admits he never imagined his daughter to be a celebrity, that too in his adopted country.

Kalki even talks about the advice her father gives her, including not getting pregnant before marriage!

(This story is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 8 September 2016.)