Kalki Koechlin on how her character’s fictional nature in ‘Bhay’ allowed emotional access

Actress Kalki Koechlin, who recently appeared in the web series “Bhay,” revealed that the fictional nature of her character Irena allowed them a certain emotional access without distorting reality.

Shedding further light on her character, Kalki shared that although Gaurav’s character was based on a real person; her character was a result of the writer’s imagination, giving them a certain level of freedom.

She shared a statement saying, “Irene is a fictional character, but Gaurav and the Indian Paranormal Society were very much real. In fact, the Indian Paranormal Society still exists. That gave us a certain freedom in how we approached the supernatural elements, while also staying rooted in reality.”

Sharing what she found interesting about “Bhay”, Kalki added, “What I really liked about the show was how it moves between the past and the present at the same time. You’re not just watching an investigation unfold, you’re feeling how history, memory, and unanswered questions keep bleeding into the present.”

She also reflected on how Irene’s personal trauma draws her deeper into the mystery.

“Irene carries an emotional secret of her own. Her ex has died by suicide, and that loss shapes how she responds to Gaurav’s story. She doesn’t say it out loud, but it’s always there. That’s what makes the investigation personal for her. For me, Gaurav’s death remains the most unsettling part. The idea that he supposedly strangulated himself is very hard to believe. There is still so much around it that remains unexplained,” explained Kalki.

With Kalki and Karan Tacker as the leads, the show also features some noteworthy performances by Saloni Batra, Danish Sood, Nimisha Nair, and Shubham Chaudhary, among others.

“Bhay” is presently streaming for free exclusively on Amazon MX Player across the MX Player app, Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV, and Airtel Xstream.