‘It is impossible to do everything, be everywhere’
Soha Ali Khan talks about her career, motherhood, and changing relationship patterns
Soha Ali Khan is candid about her work on the crime drama Hush Hush with director Tanuja Chandra, as well as her husband’s future plans.
Qhow was your experience working with director Tanuja Chandra?
It was amazing working with Tanujaji. I feel she is someone who is actually a fan of flaws and mistakes. Normally, if you make a mistake in a dialogue, you have a wardrobe malfunction, or you stumble, the director will do a retake. But she sees magic in imperfections. I found that liberating.
Q
We understand your father had something to say about your penchant for scribbling.
I always wanted to be a detective since I was a kid. I was also interested in doing investigative journalism. I did a lot of reading and was also interested in writing. We lived in Delhi as an extended family, with my uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandmothers. I was curious about who was doing what, and when I was in Std 8 or 9, I would take notes. My father always told me not to write anything down. I believe he was also a very private person. But as I grew older, I kept a lot of — SOHA ALI KHAN
diaries.i read them now and feel so silly.
QDO you encourage your daughter to read and write?
I encourage her to try new things. I encourage her to read because it broadens her horizons. I am extremely proud of her.
QDO you feel guilty about having to leave your child while you go to work?
Yes, it does come from within. I want to be everywhere. Also, I believe that only I can provide the best care for Inaaya — no one can feed her like I do. It is, however, impossible to do everything. We need to unwind a little.
Qyour equations your mom? Qhow
with
I get nervous just hearing her name. We are not friends. ‘I don’t want to be your friend, but your mother’, she has always said. I believe she has a lot to teach us, and I continue to learn from her. I see her as a grandmother. Relationships evolve, and I’m less reliant on her now. We speak to each other as equals. I am financially independent, which completely changes the game — when you get an allowance from someone, it’s a completely different ball game, whether you’re a wife, a daughter, or in any other relationship. Financial independence changes the game entirely.
I WANT TO BE EVERYWHERE. ALSO, I BELIEVE THAT ONLY I CAN PROVIDE THE BEST CARE FOR INAAYA — NO ONE CAN FEED HER LIKE I DO.
will you feel, taking instructions from Kunal in a film he directs?
I will surely take instructions from him as an actor, but not as a wife. I’m not acting in this film of his, though.