Kalki, unblushed

Kalki Koechlin’s bright and provocative video The Printing Machine features the feisty actress in an aggressive avatar, deriding the role of the media in sensationalizing news about women. Over the years Kalki has been associated with issues related to women’s empowerment that she raises in cinema, in videos and on public platforms. A chat with the spirited activist-actress.

What brought about The Printing Machine I was just disturbed by headlines and wanted to write how we become desensitised to shocking news. It was written in Jan 2015.

The excesses of the media have been excessively covered. Then why your angry outburst It’s not an angry outburst, it’s an observation on the state of affairs.

There is a mix of truth and anger in your diatribe. Is that what you aimed to project I aim to make us aware of our habits and trappings as a society to be apathetic.

How did the words come to you Just kept hitting headlines or thoughts down over a couple of months and then when I got the sound of the printing machine takakataka— that’s when I turned it into a poem. How tough was it for you to put your thoughts and words across in a coherent flow despite the anger I think I enjoy the process of putting words to rhyme and rhythm—it’s the performer in me.

If Nirbhaya was not highlighted to a hammering high, we would have never made rape an issue for discussion Do you agree Oh absolutely. The idea is not that shocking journalism should be censored, but that it should be followed through and not given in snippets without context, and that our recent past should not be forgotten quickly.

What plans for 2016 Lots of releases hopefully.

Please tell us about your forthcoming films Death on the Gung, set in 1970s where I play a girl called Mimi, a writer and a woman of 34. Jia Aur Jia with Richa Chadha and me is also finally set to release this year.