3 min readMumbaiJul 15, 2026 06:25 PM IST

Fifteen years ago, Zoya Akhtar sent three friends on a life-changing journey across Spain in the critically acclaimed and widely loved Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. While the film primarily explored the lives of three men navigating adulthood, played by Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol, its female characters were equally layered and memorable. Among them was Kalki Koechlin’s Natasha, a character defined by her jealousy, possessiveness and need for control, making her one of the film’s most talked-about personalities.

‘Natasha is a problematic character’

As Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara celebrates its 15th anniversary today, Kalki reflected on Natasha in a conversation with Variety India. Often described by audiences as a “red flag,” the actor said she still believes Natasha was a deeply flawed character, while also acknowledging the strength she possessed. “Natasha is a problematic character. I don’t think she’s an angel. She does have issues of jealousy, control and possessiveness. However, she also knows what she wants and states it. She knows how to put her foot down. She knows how to stand up for herself. She does not want to be in a relationship that makes her unhappy. She is a strong woman in that sense.”

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‘She is also funny’

Kalki also recalled that before filming began, Akhtar gave her one key direction for portraying Natasha: despite all her flaws, the character had to be funny. “She always told me that she needed my character to be funny. Natasha has problems. She is a snob, but she is also funny. That really clicked for me. She made me listen to ‘I’m a rock chick in a hard rock world.’ We used the song eventually in the film. It was to make the character feel lovable and funny.”

During the same conversation, she was asked whether a sequel to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara could still happen. While she did not confirm any plans, she said she would be open to returning if the story evolved with the characters. “I’d be happy to be employed. But there would have to be different scenarios for us because we’ve grown older. I’m sure they’ll come up with something great if they want to.”

Kalki Koechlin was last seen in the Tamil film Nesippaya.