Picture: Pabitra Das
Kiara Nayantara Singh, 14, says her mother, supermodel Nayanika Chatterjee, is not a “typical Indian mother who beats her daughter with chappals!” “But I could!” laughs Nayanika. ROFL. Just the right note for this t2 chat.
So, now you look like sisters! Is that something that you hear often?
Kiara: I hear it really often when mom’s in my school! It’s been like this as far as I can remember.
Nayanika: I don’t think it is exciting her too much! (Laughs)
It’s a huge compliment…
Nayanika: May be to me! (Laughs) It’s fun a lot of times, especially the shock on people’s faces is really funny. But I quite treat her like my daughter (laughs out loud). I have to admit that I am quite strict and I scream and shout.
Let us into your and Kiara’s relationship…
Nayanika: When she was younger, she was happier to be my friend. Now she doesn’t want me to hang with her as much and she’s got her own friends… she wants to do her own stuff which I find a little disturbing. I thought I was this really cool mom and I realise I am not so cool!
Kiara: You are still a cool mom, I just need my…
Nayanika:… Space! I cannot get used to the fact that she needs space! (Laughs) When you are younger a lot of discipline issues happen automatically. When you are older, you start questioning a lot, which I never thought would happen, but it is happening. She’s got her own individuality now. But I feel sometimes as a kid, they don’t understand the repercussions of certain things. I try to enforce that and inculcate those things in her. For example, we live in Delhi where you need to be a little careful about the kind of clothes you wear. I have no problem… I am a model and I have no reservations, but you have to be a little aware of the situation or the place you are going to…. That’s where the mother in me comes out… the protectiveness.
And there is rebellion?
Nayanika: Sometimes, there is!
Kiara: There is!
Nayanika: I have never left her with anyone outside family and it is a choice we have made because that one mistake happens only once. I’d rather be safe than sorry. At her age she doesn’t understand it so much… so there is bound to be rebellion. The challenge is to make her understand the repercussions.
Kiara, do you want to be a model?
Kiara: No! I want to study corporate law or something in fashion. I think it’s too early to decide. Even if I were to get into modelling, you still need a fall-back plan. Law interests me. I have an argumentative nature and I am good at gathering facts and points and putting them across.
Nayanika, what do you think of that?
Nayanika: I haven’t reacted because she has changed her mind so many times! These are just passing phases… I feel there is no point in forcing your views… ultimately she has to be happy in what she does. You never know where life takes you and which way you are going to go. I studied ceramics in National Institute of Design, went to Pondicherry and did studio pottery... and look at me today! I feel there are no rules and today the options are varied. I don’t want to force my views on her, but what we tell her is that she should finish her education till a certain level and always have a fall-back plan because you never know where life takes you. If you have some education, then your exposure is better, you can handle situations better. If you don’t have the education, how do you talk?
Would you willingly let her take up modelling?
Nayanika: Yes, if she wanted to. At least I have the knowledge and background to advise her right… but it’s not the easiest industry, contrary to what people think, especially emotionally. It’s very insecure, it’s rather mean, people are loose with their opinion without knowing… ‘Oh, she’s fat!’ You are giving us pizzas for lunch. What do you expect?
Between Gurpreet (Singh) and you, who is the stricter parent?
Nayanika: There are certain things he is much more strict with like clothes, where you are going in what…. If we don’t know the parents or we haven’t been invited by the parents, we will not send her there.
Kiara: I always ask: ‘My friends are going, why cannot I?!’ And my mom would say: ‘If they eat shit… will you eat shit?!’ But it absolutely gets on my nerves! I won’t say I don’t have freedom. I have a lot of freedom, but…
Are there dos and don’ts for you because you are Nayanika Chatterjee’s daughter?
Kiara: I have to make sure that my grooming is good at all times… sit straight… good manners… be well-behaved and respect the limits I have.
Nayanika: I keep telling her that you are an example for me. If you are not a good example, they (the people she grooms) won’t trust me… so, you cannot do the exact opposite of what I am telling them to do.
Kiara: I wasn’t allowed to watch music videos till I was 11 or 12 because my father did not want me to be exposed.
Nayanika: A lot of videos had sexual content and it was too much knowledge.
Kiara, did you have to convince your parents to allow you on social media?
Kiara: No! I was in the middle of sixth grade or the beginning of seventh when I was on Instagram…
Nayanika: We said no to Facebook.
Kiara: And I am actually fine with that.
Nayanika: She went to Insta first without us realising what it was all about. Now, we have realised the perils of being on Insta! (Laughs)
Will you panic if she has a boyfriend now?
Nayanika: No, I won’t panic at all.
Dad would?
Kiara: He wouldn’t know! (Laughs out loud) I have had a fair amount of crushes! I have told my mom each time and she goes and tells dad. He is pretty chilled out about it as long as it doesn’t go too far.
Nayanika: Zac Efron... Justin Bieber also.
Kiara: Justin Bieber was my first actual crush.
Nayanika: If you hold something back too much, they tend to rebel. And also, how long will you hold it back? I don’t want her to be so scared that she can’t tell us when she is in trouble. I have told her not to jump into things because of peer pressure. I have also told her that if you have a crush on someone, it’s okay, but don’t throw yourself at a person… have some self-respect and dignity because that really counts in life. If you stop respecting yourself, the game is over. I also tell her that there is a lot of information that is misconstrued. These are all contrived situations and this is not what normal life is.
Nayanika, what have you learnt from Kiara?
I think I am too guarded and she is easy. I am always trying to be the good girl. You can still do that and be easy. So, that’s what I am learning from her… learning to let go. I am trying.
Kiara’s faves...
Prized possession: My phone. I am typically on Instagram and I also follow a lot of fashion blogs like a1daily.
Obsessed with: Wearing my headphones in the car and listening to music all the time. Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Drake and Rihanna are my four favourites.
Love: John Green’s books. Kylie Jenner.
Play: Basketball and tennis. Also, swimming.
Saionee Chakraborty