“AT THE MERCY OF INNOCENT PRINTING MACHINES” – Kalki Koechlin

Kalki Koechlin, one of the most unapologetic and experimentative stars in India, is the third to be featured in Culture Machine’s Unblushed series for the women’s lifestyle channel ‘Blush’. The 5 minute long video “Printing Machine”, a poem penned by Kalki, which released today features the actress in one of her edgiest avatars yet as she takes on media, society and their approach towards women and crimes against them. Directed by Akanksha Seda, the video is one of the most stirring invectives of a culture that may be going morally numb, one newspaper edition a time.

Talking about chilling events in the recent past such as the increase in acid attacks, gang rapes, foreigners being raped in the country, the on-going flood of objectifying imagery in glossy magazines; Kalki takes on the appalling reportage of news events, to reveal their hollowness and robotic production. Not only is The Printing Machine a satire against news gatherers, daily broadsheets, magazines and social media but also the generation that consumes these reports with a vulgar hunger for juicy headlines.

Speaking about Printing Machine, Kalki Koechlin said, “Printing Machine was inspired by one of the key influencers in our lives – news houses and the media. We are flooded by an onslaught of objectifying and horrific news reports and imagery that have desensitised us a culture. It is only when we look at these reports in totality do we realise what our Indian heritage and culture have come to, and how we have come to be at the mercy of printing machines. Culture Machine and the UnBlushed team did an amazing job of creating a visual rendition of Printing Machine that best expresses the violence and brutality of our culture. They have helped take the story forward with this video that would have otherwise just been on paper.”

Nimrat Kaur and Sayani Gupta have been featured in the previous episodes of Unblushed, a series that features female celebrities who are unapologetic, bold and beautiful.

The words, the beats, and the visuals, create an impactful message for all of us to understand and imbibe. We all talk about the ridiculousness of the news, the negativity of it all, and then go about our normal routines. But here’s an earnest effort that is making us question our subtle, but harmful indifference.

Listen to Kalki, people. Because when this woman talks, the world becomes a better place. Start by asking the right questions today.