In this episode of NL Recess, actor and writer Kalki Koechlin joins Suhana Sehrawat to discuss her new book, The Elephant in the Womb, the invisibilisation of women’s work in the domestic space, and self-censorship and privilege.

When asked if she received social scrutiny during childbirth, Kalki says she was prepared for it. “I’ve lived long enough in this industry to know it isn’t hard to offend anybody,” she says.

She explains there’s a difference in treatment when a male star has a child versus a female star having one, and that things need to evolve for the better. “The more we talk about it, the more it’ll change,” she says. “And we need to normalise the idea of having a child outside the marriage setup. You can have a child and do other things.”

Kalki also talks about the dearth of literature on paternity, the challenges of having a water birth, her experiences with writing, the gradual grief brought by maternity, and a lot more.

Watch.

Text by Rounak Bhat.