Happiness is a (wo)man’s most singular quest in life. The pursuit of it and how to sustain that state of joyfulness have been questions asked for millennia. For some it’s meditation, mindfulness and the simple pleasures of life. We asked Kalki Koechlin, whose upcoming movie Waiting is all about pursuing happiness even in the most difficult times, what her guide to staying happy involves? In this exclusive interview, the lovely actress shares those secrets.
Your upcoming movie Waiting has received rave reviews, congratulations!
I feel HAPPY. It is a very honest film. The movie has taught me a lot about life. Waiting is about happiness and how we should learn to live and laugh, even in the most difficult situations.
How do you deal with the stress that comes right before a film release?
It’s a thrilling experience. I love meeting people and getting their valuable feedback on my work. I enjoy the moment. It’s my film that’s releasing and that means a lot to me. The pressure of “will the movie do well” or not is there, but thank God I’m not the producer. I don’t have to worry about the numbers too much. I have the pressure when I am working on the script. I have the pressure of getting the character right. So more than the box-office, I worry about my work in the film.
What is happiness?
Happiness is the maintenance of your daily life. Happiness is not – you achieve it today and you will stay happy forever. It’s a daily maintenance where you have to keep yourself happy and positive. You have to balance your routine: mentally, emotionally and physically.
What are five things that make you really, honest-to-goodness happy?
1. I try to sweat it all out once in a day! I try to get some exercise; it makes me feel happy from the inside. I don’t feel lazy or lethargic.
2. I value my work. When I work, I feel happy. There are times when I go like ‘bahut kaam hai’ (there’s a lot of work to finish), but then I remind myself that it is better to be busy with work, than having no work at all.
3. I believe that talking to people and feeling a sense of connectedness makes me happy. We constantly miss connecting with people. Yes, we are on our phones, but we don’t make eye contact with people!
4. Hugs make me happy.
5. Self-analysis helps me be happy. I reflect to understand things in a better way.
How do you respond negative press?
I believe in the saying, ‘See no evil, do no evil’. I stop reading stuff that is rubbish. A lot of people keep sending me articles about what is being said about me but unfortunately, they don’t know that I don’t want to read all that. I keep myself busy with my work.
I believe in this line from the poem called If by Rudyard Kipling – “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.” I think we should take both triumph and disaster with the same attitude and not let any situation get over you.
What do you typically do after you hear the word “pack up” during your shoots?
The first thing I do is remove my make-up. I dream of a long bath with a book and wine besides me and my phone switched off!
What is the one happy moment that will forever be etched in your memory?
The one big moment was when I went to my younger brother, Oriel’s school to watch his performance. He sang a solo version of Black Eyed Peas’ Where is the love? It is a rap song, which he learnt all by himself. When I saw him singing, I started weeping. It was an overwhelming moment.
