Chrrring horizontal lines vertically,
To pay for print
In soft baby pink
The pleasant opening page
Revealing a ‘Fair
and Lovely’ face,
Which melts slowly
A few pages on
With the rise of acid sales.
Chrrr chrrr chreee
Our machine sings obliviously
These are some of the hard hitting lines from “The Printing Machine”, a poem written by Kalki Koechlin to address the growing insensitivity of the media towards crime against women. With scathing lines referring to Nirbhaya gang-rape and Badaun sisters’ case, it captures the robotic consumption of news. Brought out by Unblushed, the five minute online video is a combination of video projection on the actor’s body and double exposure technique. We see headlines, newspaper articles, magazines, text, videos, footage, etc, all being reflected on Kalki’s body.
“Long back a friend was writing a book of poems, she wanted me to contribute a poem. The book never got published but I performed it at an event. Meanwhile Unblushed wanted to feature me. Doing an interview with a celebrity is a done thing. They wanted to do something more personal. They looked at my work and found this very powerful and they came up with the visuals,” says Kalki.
Kalki clarifies that it is not about problem with the media, it is an observation that we are so hungry for shock and horror. “It is a two way thing. The audiences are also asking for it. It is a satire on the kind of desensitised society we have become. We want a new thing to look at after every few hours. We get horrified and outraged but then the outrage shifts to something new.”
Many feel that the social media which emerged as an empowering tool is now not allowing the news to breath and is turning us into voyeurs. “It is a double-edged sword,” says Kalki. “On one had it has become a medium where kuchh bhi bakwas likh sakte hain (can write rubbish) and it becomes news. But at the same time it is also a medium where those whose voice is not heard normally, can air their views. It is no longer about elitism and money.” Having said that she goes on to add that it is a fine balance that we need to respect. “Sometimes we feel that we have done the good deed of the day by liking a video or a message. Main toh kuch achcha kiya . But it should make a practical difference. It needs to come out in our daily life and action. It should not be something that stays virtual.”
Talking of observation, Kalki, with her French parentage and fluency in Tamil, is in a remarkable position. She often gets to hear a lot more than what an ordinary Tamil can. “I only know what you people already suspected. We all suspect certain things and I get the confirmation. We all have such advantages. I have a friend called Tariq. Everybody thinks he is Muslim while he is not. A lot of people start giving him gyan . He gets both sides of the story. It is funny how we assume a person’s identity on the basis of how he dresses or how he speaks.”
In a creative field this information can be helpful but at a human level knowing a person’s true feeling about you can be hurtful. “I think everything that hurts you also helps you eventually. That’s human experience. I think criticism can be a real motivation for creativity,” Kalki muses.
The Dev D actor feels she is no longer seen as the Russian girl who can speak Hindi. “In the beginning I was offered the stereotypical white girl’s roles like the gangster’s girl friend. I don’t mind playing a white’s girl role but I don’t want to play just that one role throughout my life. It took me time to break that perception.”
Kalki knows the critical acclaim for Margarita With A Straw is transient. “I think things don’t change overnight. You have to constantly prove yourself. You are only as good as your last film. It is particularly true for the industry we are in. If your last film is a flop you are conveniently forgotten. So it is important to consistently do good work. I am lucky that I am getting work. I have choice. Not everybody has that choice.”
The choice comes with its pros and cons. “I think people are less worried about whether I can act. They are more worried about whether she is available. However, people get confused because I am playing such diverse characters. Nobody knows where to put me.” That’s the downside of being a good actor!
On the cards
Kalki is working on Mantra , a film about changing India in the 90s when market became globalised. “In the process an Indian brand goes bankrupt. It is about the family that suffers because of the change in government policy.” Then there is Jia Aur Jia with Richa Chadda. “It is a road trip movie about loving life with songs and stuff. Funnily enough I am playing a Punjabi and Richa is playing a Tamil Brahmin as the girls have swapped identities. It was not difficult because Richa gave me good guidance on Punjabi.”
