- Kalki Koechlin is an Indian-French actor and theatre artist with notable film credits
- Kalki spoke about encouraging her daughter’s self-esteem despite Sappho calling herself ugly
- She emphasised the importance of understanding children's feelings about their self-image
Kalki Koechlin is an Indian-French actor with a stellar film record, including Margarita With A Straw, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Gully Boy, Dev D, A Death In The Gunj, and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. She is also an accomplished theatre artist, director, and writer.
While she has portrayed several roles on the screen, being a mom to Sappho is among the most crucial roles in personal life. She welcomed her daughter in February 2020 with partner and Israeli musician Guy Hershberg.
The actor recently appeared on the Lilly Singh podcast to talk about films, personal life, childhood, and parenting. She also opened up about raising a daughter with opinions and an individuality.
Kalki Koechlin On Raising A Powerful Daughter
The host asked her if she had ever given a thought to raising a "powerful" daughter. "I think about it all the time," Kalki replied, adding that she is often taken a back by a switch in how she sees herself.
Recalling her time with Sappho, she revealed that there are times when she wants to be like princess, and then, there are days when she says, "I am not pretty, I am ugly."
Kalki Koechlin shared, "It breaks my heart," whenever her daughter uses such phrases. She recalled that the first time her daughter said that she wasn't pretty, she encouraged her and told her, "Of course, you are. You are like sunshine. You are the most beautiful person I know."
However, her daughter did not agree with her and started throwing a tantrum, which made Kalki take a step back and she tried to understand why her daughter was calling herself "ugly". She asked her which part of her feels ugly to her.
She talked to her about elephants with a big belly and a long, strange nose, which Sappho finds "beautiful". Kalki added that it is important to break down what kids feel at a young age, allowing parents to understand why their children are feeling a certain way, especially when they say that they are conscious about themselves.
Kalki Koechlin On Parents Focusing On Raising Boys
The actor further added that it is even more important to focus on how parents raise their boys. They should be able to feel okay to cry or navigate their emotions. "That's also a hard job parents have," she added.
Kalki further noted that children often learn by the examples set by adults; hence, it makes a huge difference depending on how their parents carry themselves. She added that movies set an example for kids and show them there is no one certain way to live a life. "They can be anything they want," she said.
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