'It is time to love, to be with family, to work on internal, unaddressed, troubles, to read, to rest, to watch sparrows building their nests...'
Kalki Koechlin's baby Sappho, all of three months, is keeping her busy during the lockdown.
It's a blissful yet exhausting time for the actress, and she tells Subhash K Jha, "The first smile, the first sound she makes, or the first time she holds her head up high without support is incomparable joy."
How are you coping with the lockdown? Is Sappho keeping you busy?
I have Sappho and my 12-year-old brother Oriel staying with me, so between homeschooling and breastfeeding, I have my hands full for sure.
What has motherhood been like so far? Is it all wonderful or are there dips in the curve?
It is as challenging as it is blissful.
No sleep, changing diapers or feeding or trying to guess why my baby is screaming makes me scattered and exhausted.
But the first smile, the first sound she makes, or the first time she holds her head up high without support is incomparable joy.
Which is the first language that you'd like Saphho to learn?
I talk to her in French.
My partner Guy talks to her in Hebrew.
Her nanny Sangeeta talks to her in Hindi.
We figure she'll learn English eventually through others and school, so it is not our priority.
How handson is your partner in looking after the baby?
Guy is irreplaceable and untiring.
He doesn't lose his patience and has never once said no to any help I need with Sappho.
What is the biggest takeaway from this current global crisis?
It is time to love, to be with family, to work on internal, unaddressed, troubles, to read, to rest, to watch sparrows building their nests...
What are your plans once the lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic ends?
Who knows what the world will look like after the virus?
I'm treating this as the new normal, finding ways to work and perform online, writing, etc.
Do you intend to return to acting?
I think it will take some time before shooting can resume.
But, of course, I miss that and look forward to a time when we can get back to making movies.
I hope it happens soon.
