After the screening, Kalki Koechlin — who plays Laila in Friday film Margarita with a Straw — settled down for a chat with t2 at INOX Quest’s Insignia Lounge.
We’ve just seen you make Laila your own. You must have found it tough to switch off from Laila after shoot every day?
The intention was never to switch off, actually. I made the conscious decision of staying in character, all through the shoot. I was in a wheelchair, almost throughout. I remember we had a day off and we went out for dinner and I was just getting a drink and I grabbed it like Laila! (Laughs) You have seen the film, so you know what I mean. It just became a part of me. But in a film as intense and demanding as this, I think I needed that. It’s not a film where I could afford to jump in and out of character.
What kind of preparation went into becoming Laila? Your expressions and mannerisms were spot on…
Thank you! (Smiles) One of the biggest references for the role was Malini Chib, Shonali’s cousin. She let me into her life in a huge way. She let me stay with her at home… she let me see her at work, we became friends, we went out together for movies… we got drunk together, we partied. To see someone like her up close like that was a huge help for me. Shonali sent me a video of Jeeja Ghosh as well. I got a lot of inputs from a lot of quarters. On top of that, it was daily riyaaz… I trained every single day for the role, something that we actors normally don’t do for any of our roles. It was so much preparation… body memory, muscle memory…. I would do all my daily activities, whether it was eating my breakfast, doing my chores or even bathing, sitting in that wheelchair, much to the frustration of my parents! (Laughs)
But honestly, it was intimidating at first because there was so much to learn. Every person with cerebral palsy is different… no two people are the same. So who do you imitate? But there are some things that are common to most. For example, when Malini laughs, because of lack of control of muscle, her hands go up. So, I observed all of this.
How much did playing Laila take out of you?
It was a very tough character, but I loved the whole process of playing Laila. I gained so much in terms of knowledge as well as insight… Laila has made me search deeper inside me. I really enjoyed the process, though the shoot was very exhausting. The shortness of breath that Laila has would make me very tired and I would yawn a lot. Sitting in a wheelchair the whole day gave me a lot of aches and pains. It did take a toll, but that’s my job, I guess (smiles).
How aware were you of cerebral palsy before you became Laila?
As far as cerebral palsy is concerned, I think I was the most uneducated person in the crew when we started out. I wasn’t exposed to the differently abled on such a large scale in my life, so this film was an eye-opener. Once Malini and I went out for a drink and she ordered whisky and soda, and I was so shocked. Actually, I was shocked at myself for being shocked! (Smiles) I wanted to hit myself, thinking: ‘She’s an adult woman, of course she can order a drink!’
But the problem is that we are conditioned to think that the differently abled can’t enjoy life… they can’t drink, they can’t party, they can’t fall in love, they can’t have sex. It definitely broke a lot of myths in my head.
When Shonali’s script arrived in your inbox, what was your first thought?
When I read it, I immediately loved it. After all, it had won best script at Sundance (Scriptwriters Lab). I said I wanted to do the film, but I told Shonali one thing: ‘I am very excited, but also very terrified and I won’t do it till I get a lot of time to prepare’. We were supposed to start shoot in three months and I totally panicked. Luckily, the film got pushed and I got six months to prepare.
This is your second film with a woman director after Zoya Akhtar in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. What’s Shonali like on set?
A complete emotional wreck! (Laughs) She wears her heart on her sleeve. Laila wouldn’t have been complete without her personal anecdotes… it has so much from her own life. On set, she would have such varied emotions… she would laugh, cry, get angry, mother us…. She was strict, like my mother! (Laughs) She wouldn’t let me go out during shoot nights. ‘Where you going? What time are you coming back?’ (Laughs) She’s a tough woman.
Was it tough to pull off the intimate scenes with another woman?
It wasn’t easy, for sure! (Laughs) Intimate scenes are tough… I have done kissing scenes before, like in Shanghai (with Prosenjit). When you do such scenes, you forget about the acting, you are just nervous about the kissing! When we were in New York, we had someone called Monsoon Bissell who conducts intimacy workshops for both gay and straight couples. She looks at relationship psychology like how effortlessly can couples get intimate with each other, especially conflicted couples. Working with her helped Sayani (Gupta) and me a lot because once we were comfortable with each other’s bodies, it wasn’t that tough.
Was it important to break the ice with Sayani before doing the intimate scenes?
Sayani and I didn’t know each other before the film, but Shonali believes in a lot of rehearsals. She made sure we did the scenes a lot of times before we did them on screen.
The mother-daughter relationship between you and Revathy is the highlight of the film. Is it a reflection of the relationship you have with your mother?
Quite a bit, actually. During our teens, we all are rebellious, just like Laila. I definitely was. My parents separated when I was very young and for a long time, it was just me and mom. She was the one putting down the rules and I was breaking them all the time! (Laughs) We fought a lot, but that also brought us very close. Now, I can share everything with my mom… we are that close.
How much does playing Laila contribute to Kalki the actor?
Hugely. The kind of rehearsal time I have spent on this film is unique… I haven’t done that for any other film. I wish I had the time to do this for every film of mine. There is so much you can dig into every character and I wish all our films paid attention to that.
The film is a statement for all those who consider the differently abled to not be ‘normal’. You have spoken about how in Bollywood your looks and acting choices have not been branded ‘normal’…
Oh, all the time! I always get queries like: ‘How does someone with your unconventional looks get by in Bollywood?’ or ‘Why do you do such different and depressing roles?’ My choices have always been to make good cinema… I haven’t consciously looked to make a choice between commercial or independent cinema. But like everyone in my profession, I want every film of mine to be a commercial hit and I hope Margarita... is one too (smiles).
A special film. A special actress. a special audience.... the first public screening of margarita with a straw in india was truly special
What: An exclusive screening of Margarita with a Straw, an initiative of the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, supported by The Telegraph, INOX and Park Plaza
Where: Screen 2, INOX Quest
When: Thursday afternoon
It had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. It won leading lady Kalki Koechlin Best Actress at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia. Aamir Khan organised a special screening of the film for a select group of 30 from Bollywood earlier this week in Mumbai. And on Thursday, Calcutta hosted the first Indian public screening of Shonali Bose’s acclaimed film Margarita with a Straw. An initiative of the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP), supported by The Telegraph, the screening — in the presence of the director, co-director Nilesh Maniyar, Kalki and co-star Sayani Gupta — was played out to an audience of around 250, comprising students and faculty and members of IICP, parents and some of the city’s famous faces. The verdict at the end of the 101-minute film, that releases worldwide on April 17? “A film made with a lot of heart.”
After the screening, Team Margarita with a Straw, along with Team IICP, moved to Park Plaza at Gariahat for high tea and a Q&A session. “Park Plaza is always there for a cause and in future also, if we get an opportunity to support a good cause, we will come forward. I would like to congratulate Kalki and Shonali for making such an inspirational movie,” said Mukti Gupta, MD, Park Plaza.
