Kalki Koechlin working on maiden book 'Elephant In The Womb'
Actor Kalki Koechlin is making her debut as an author with an illustrated non-fiction book on motherhood, publisher Penguin Random House India (PRHI) announced on Saturday. Titled Elephant In The Womb, the book is illustrated by Valeriya Polyanychko. The book will be published under Penguin's imprint this year. Here are more details.
Book has a combination of personal essays and think-pieces
With a combination of personal essays and think-pieces, the graphic book is a candid, funny, and relatable account talking about pregnancy and parenting for mothers, expectant mothers, and anyone even thinking about motherhood. "While I was struggling with my pregnancy and my new role as a mother, it was my friends who helped me," Kalki said.
Kalki gave birth to a baby girl last year
Kalki said, "They shared their rough times and dark phases and how they got through it with laughter and contemplation, and that helped me more than those who spoke only of the glorious, blessed babe in arms that brought light into their lives." The 37-year-old actress gave birth to a baby girl in February last year.
Book talks about the bittersweet experience of motherhood
According to the publisher, Kalki's nuanced prose makes the readers aware of the physiological discomfort and manic expectations that make motherhood a bittersweet experience. "Kalki Koechlin's book deals with the fact that parenting is as exhausting as it is fulfilling, as draining as it is inspiring, and as frustrating as it is joyous," said Manasi Subramaniam, the Executive Editor at PRHI.
We romanticize motherhood in popular culture: Subramaniam
"We romanticize motherhood in popular culture, and I'm so glad Kalki has pulled back the curtain on what is essentially the physical and emotional labor of much of the female population," Subramaniam added.
