After the separation Koechlin discussed her struggles in an interview with Daily News and Analysis, "Even as an actor, you have days when you haven't slept enough, you don't feel like you're good enough or pretty enough ... But ultimately, it's all about attitude. You must live with a little abandon and not be self-conscious. You ought to stop staring at yourself in the mirror, and just smile a little!" Having suffered through racial prejudice in her teenage years and early film career, when she was stereotyped as a 'white-girl' in India, Koechlin advocates for an anti-racist ideology. She acknowledged her share of confusion, regarding her identity as a "white-skinned woman growing up in Tamil Nadu", who had to defend her "Indian-ness" at numerous occasions. Later in 2012, she said of herself, “My skin is white, but my heart is brown.” She has a French passport, and stated in an interview that she chose it over an Indian passport as it is easier to travel with the former.