Kalki Koechlin Names Baby Daughter Sappho. Read Her Post

A pic of Kalki Koechlin during pregnancy (courtesy: kalkikanmani)

New Delhi:

Actress Kalki Koechlin, who welcomed a baby girl on Friday, has revealed that she and boyfriend Guy Hershberg have named their daughter Sappho. The 36-year-old actress posted a photo of baby Sappho’s footprints and wrote an adorable note: “Please welcome Sappho. Born 07/02/20. She just spent nine months wrapped up like a momo in my uterus. Let’s give her some space.” We’ll take that to mean that Kalki has no intention of sharing pictures of the new arrival any time soon – which is just as it should be. Kalki also thanked her fans and followers for sending a whole lot of love to her baby daughter: “Thank you for all the good wishes and positive energy pouring in.”

Sappho was an ancient Greek poetess, much of whose work has been lost now. She is, however, considered an important literary figure. Kalki quoted this, attributed to Sappho, in her post: “Some say an army of horsemen or infantry, a fleet of ships is the fairest thing on the black earth, but I say, it’s what one loves.”

The actress also discussed her experience of pregnancy and how recovering from child birth requires the “backing of an entire community.” Kalki Koechlin wrote, “Respect to all the women who go through the intense and gruesome experience of birth, be it vaginal or C-section, so many of whom are not given credit or support for the biggest challenges they face, but are expected to do it out of some kind of duty. The process takes a huge toll both psychological and physical and should have the backing of an entire community to truly heal.”

Kalki Koechlin beautifully penned her thoughts post-pregnancy about growing up from “molecules” to “things” with a “reminder” of sorts: “And a reminder to each and every human being of where we started, being formed from tiny molecules to conscious, beautiful beings. We are survivors of the biggest battle, the one for life and existence, and should treat ourselves and others with that love and respect.”

Take a look at what Kalki Koechlin posted on Instagram:

Please welcome Sappho. Born 07/02/20. She just spent 9 months wrapped up like a momo in my uterus. Let’s give her some space Thank you for all the good wishes and positive energy pouring in. And respect to all the women who go through the intense and gruesome experience of birth, be it vaginal or c section, so many of whom are not given credit or support for the biggest challenges they face, but are expected to do it out of some kind of duty. The process takes a huge toll both psychological and physical and should have the backing of an entire community to truly heal. And a reminder to each and every human being of where we started, being formed from tiny molecules to conscious, beautiful beings. We are survivors of the biggest battle, the one for life and existence, and should treat ourselves and others with that love and respect. “Some say an army of horsemen or infantry, A fleet of ships is the fairest thing on the black earth, but I say Its what one loves.”Sappho circa 600BC

A post shared by Kalki (@kalkikanmani) on Feb 9, 2020 at 5:23am PST

Guy Hershberg also shared the same picture on Instagram with his baby girl’s name – Sappho – and the hashtags “#india” “#mumbai” “#newborn” and “#family.”

We think Kalki Koechlin has a Greek fascination. The actress had earlier introduced us to her pet Kiara. She described her pet as “My Bedouin queen, my Greek doggess, my brave heart (and in this photo, just a dog waiting for her treat).”

During her pregnancy, Kalki Koechlin filled up her Instagram with posts sharing her many moods. A recent entry came with a thoughtful caption about ‘love and hate’ – “Seems to be everywhere these days. A world wide debate. But I don’t need to look far to find it. I see this cycle of love and hate in my own family. We curse each other and scream and shout and break things, until we ourselves break. Then we cry, feel the guilt and look down at our feet. We hug gingerly, love reluctantly and forget quickly until it is repeated again. Love and hate. A habit. Like two magnets, in constant repulsion.”

Here’s the post were talking about:

Love and hate. Seems to be everywhere these days. A world wide debate. But I don’t need to look far to find it. I see this cycle of love and hate in my own family. We curse eachother and scream and shout and break things, until we ourselves break. Then we cry, feel the guilt and look down at our feet. We hug gingerly, love reluctantly and forget quickly until it is repeated again. Love and hate. A habit. Like two magnets, in constant repulsion. Perhaps the opposite of hate is not love, but understanding. And the opposite of love is not hate, but neglect. There are so many uncomfortable extremes that make us feel we must react at once and put a stop to it – slam the door, walk away, shout your way to the other person’s silence, unleash unthinkable acts of violence. But living with discomfort all the time, as I do now, because it is inside me and I cannot escape it, I have to be patient. My body demands it, my mind shuts down, my heart can only beat. If I erupt, it is inward and I alone feel the heat. I feel small, very small, from the sheer mystery and unfamiliarity of the grand workings taking over inside me. And so, eventually, I’m reduced to baby steps, forced to listen and respond, to note down and break years of habit in this moment. Today the cycle will not repeat. Today I will plant a seed, allowing my intentions to grow into another being – another me, but more conscious, more careful . I feel as if this creature, which began as a virus of discomfort inside me, slowly threatening my independence, stalling my capacity to create, or to think for myself, and eating into my daily routine, is now firmly a mirror of my own insecurities, a counter to my fears, a soul that can evolve and grow more rapidly than I have in all my years. So perhaps the opposite of destruction is not creation, but simply balance. And the opposite of creation is not destruction, but constant distraction. So I sit and wait. Write and read. Try to keep my balance. And breathe. Because that’s all I can get right sometimes. #notesfromapregnantdiary #9monthseries Photo @yashyeri Assisted by @vaibhav_dabholkar_ Style @divyabal HMU @angelinajoseph Dress @_naushadali_

A post shared by Kalki (@kalkikanmani) on Feb 2, 2020 at 12:35am PST

Kalki Koechlin got divorced in 2015 from ex-husband Anurag Kashyap. She is known for her work in films like Dev D, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Margarita With A Straw and A Death In A Gunj. She also stars in Netflix series Sacred Games 2.