“I’M A BIG BELIEVER IN A POSITIVE MINDSET AND I THINK A HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL OR BOLLYWOOD FILM CAN INSPIRE A PERSON TO HAVE A SPRING IN THEIR STEP!”

Google search at ones fingertips, “Kate Winslet age” trended as the series gained popularity in April/may. And, when the result it threw up said “45 years”, one looked at Mare on the TV screen and wondered: Can actors use their star power to alter their age online?

INDIA ON HER MIND

This Monday afternoon, as I go over my questions for my interview on a Zoom call, Kate Winslet lights up my screen, as fresh as a Rose (pun intended, think Titanic!). The actor is seated at her kitchen counter and bathed in early morning light. She’s wearing a summery dress and is perfectly made up, just like any star who refuses to age with time. She has just been announced the global brand ambassador of L’oreal Paris, and just as she did justice to her role as Mare of Easttown, she seems determined to play this part to perfection as well.

“I’m so glad a man is interviewing me,” she says with a smile, trying to break the ice instantly. And when her manager apologises for shaving a few minutes off the promised interview time, Kate interjects, “Don’t worry, I’ll answer quickly.”

I take my cue, and as it always is when interviewing an international celebrity for an Indian audience, my first few questions focus on India.

“I came to India to research a role when I was 22 years old,” says Kate. “I landed in Delhi and travelled north to Rishikesh, where I spent a little time in an ashram. We then drove to Jaipur and also visited Pushkar, so I’d like to believe I’ve seen right through the centre of India. All the beautiful landscapes, the incredible colours, and obviously, I’ve eaten the wonderful food. And I’ve also experienced the incredible spirituality that is really overwhelming and very, very powerful. It’s a unique and beautiful country, and I’d love to come back some day. I was there 23 years ago, I must come back!”

I instinctively do the mental math. Google was right about her age.

What’s your impression of the over-the-top song, dance and drama of Indian movies, I ask. Do you enjoy it? In the last few years, we’ve seen musicals come out of Hollywood that are as escapist in nature as any Bollywood movie is.

“I think that musicals are wonderful because they represent a kind of freedom and escape, and just joy, and I think we all want to feel joy in our lives. For some people, that doesn’t happen automatically. So, the escape of watching a Bollywood movie or a Hollywood musical is a very unique, uplifting experience. I’m a big believer in a positive mindset and in having a good outlook in life and I think a musical can inspire a person to have a spring in their step. You could be walking down the street singing those songs, that is really, really wonderful.”