Latest news with #MargaritawithaStraw
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Shonali Bose shares how she channelised the pain of losing her mum in Amu
Filmmaker Shonali Bose was just 21 when she lost her mother, Junie Dass, in 1986, a tragedy that profoundly shaped her life and artistic journey. This immense personal loss became a recurring undercurrent in her storytelling. 'Losing her at 21 was devastating and painful — it changed my life,' Shonali recalls, adding, 'I explored mother-daughter relationships and the theme of death across Amu (2005), Margarita with a Straw (2014), and The Sky is Pink (2019). With Amu specifically, we intentionally wrote a story around a mother daughter to tap into my pain and write from an honest place. I believe that if you can write from the depths of your pain - that can be powerful.' Also Read: Miranda House objects to Shonali Bose's 'Ziddi Girls', makers issue 'fiction' disclaimer In her debut film Amu, Shonali cast her maternal aunt Brinda Karat in a pivotal role. One emotionally charged scene required Brinda's character, Keya, to reveal Amu's (played by Konkona Sen Sharma) origin story — a moment that required Brinda to tap into the pain of losing her sister. 'Brinda had already delivered two brilliant takes' Shonali recounts, adding, 'But hours later, at around 2 a.m., when it was her cue again, she couldn't emote, she was just numb. No matter what I said she couldn't tear up. Then I got an idea. The scene was in an ambassador car and I was crouched under the seat. After calling action I did a sense memory exercise and talked Brinda through the memory of the last moments of my mother's (her sister) life before the plug was pulled in Breach Candy ICU. And she couldn't hold back the tears. When I called cut and came out of the car I saw that my sound recordist and designer Resul Pookutty was sobbing too — he had heard every word through his headphones.' A post shared by Shonali Bose (@shonalibose_) This deeply personal emotion extended into her later work as well. In Margarita with a Straw, Shonali recreated the raw emotion she had experienced in 1986. 'When Revathy's character dies in the hospital and Kalki's (Koechlin) character rushes out in her wheelchair, wailing — that was me, just as I did when my mamma died in 1986,' she shares, adding, 'For years Mother's Day was painful for me. And then I gave birth to Ishan and became a mamma myself. And would love the cards he would hand paint for me that I still have,' she shares. Shonali lost Ishan at just 16 years old in 2010. This life-altering loss found expression in her 2019 film The Sky is Pink. 'His death took me to another place… I felt a deep peace about death. In The Sky is Pink, the character played by Priyanka (Chopra Jonas; actor) wears a vibrant pink scarf to her daughter's funeral. Just as I had worn red. To celebrate. Not mourn. It marked the end of a marathon. A journey,' Shonali ends.
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Now, if mama has to go to work, she deals with it': Kalki Koechlin shares tips to balance time between mother and baby
Actor Kalki Koechlin gave birth to her daughter Sappho during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they spent the first seven months holed up at home due to the lockdown. 'There was no pressure to go back to my tiny body because people didn't see me, and we all know actors are always expected to look a certain way. While it initially felt like the stomach would never go, I did eventually get my body back after a year,' the Margarita with a Straw actor told Hindustan Times digital in a recent interview. Her postpartum phase was not without obstacles, and she found it extremely difficult to have some kind of a routine because she was 'too busy breastfeeding, cooking and cleaning.' 'My priority was just sleeping,' added the actor. During the candid conversation, Koechlin shared some tips on how to balance parenting while finding time for oneself. Get creative 'She didn't understand that boundary when I worked from home, eventually. It was challenging when she couldn't access me for a few hours. My partner (Guy Hershberg) has sometimes taken colouring pencils and paper along with her to parking spaces under our building, so she's excited and distracted. It took some creative thinking as parents. Now, if Mama has to go to work, she deals with it,' Koechlin told the publication. Staying away from phones 'We're all attached to our phones, but my rule now is to keep mine in a separate room when I sleep. I have a proper alarm clock that wakes me up, though my daughter does it before that (laughs). This ensures that I'm present while finishing my daily routine, I don't even check my phone before that,' she explained. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kalki Koechlin (@kalkikanmani) According to her, parental anxiety is real, along with general anxiety. 'I have accessed a lot of therapy in the last couple of years, which has helped a lot. I have also understood that I cannot solve everything,' she added. Rima Bhandekar, Psychologist at Mpower Helpline, Aditya Birla Trust, said that Kalki 's style of parenting focuses on providing children ample independence and distance to develop and at same time support when required. It is very different from helicopter parenting where parents are around all the time. Such kind of parenting lets children know that their assistance is available when wanted by the children. This style of parenting is about balancing independence with care. According to Bhandekar, this helps children start handling challenges themselves without expecting parents to scoop in for them. Their confidence develops gradually through trial-and-error learning, and they know they can succeed after initial failure. 'Children develop understanding of various situations and how they feel in those, and how to face others with confidence,' she added. Staying away from phones ensures quality time being spent between the mother and baby without any distractions. This makes the child feel like they are a priority in their caregiver's life. Working parents will need support and keep open pathways of communication with their children when parents are away at work, and involve children in the process of decision making about small but important things when they are at home.
