Keira Knightley may have caught India’s attention when she played Jules in Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham 20 years ago. But she truly caught my attention in 2007, when she won a libel case against the British tabloid, Daily Mail, after it falsely claimed that she suffered from an eating disorder.
Knightley was awarded £3,000 in damages; she added to the sum and donated double that amount to a charity that dealt with eating disorders and other mental health issues.
The actor, now 37, is a millennial in more ways than this one. At the peak of her career, just a few years after Bend It… and Love Actually, Keira Knightley decided to take time off to travel and focus on her personal life. Long before mental health was spoken about as openly as it is now, she admitted to having a breakdown at age 22, attributing her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) to her sudden rise to stardom. And, back in 2014, when body positivity was far from being a buzzword, Keira appeared nude on the cover of Interview magazine on one condition: that the image would not be digitally altered to perfection. Women’s bodies were beautiful in all their individuality.
“Once a part of the modelling sphere, I have experienced cameras following you around and people grading you on a scale of one to ten. That’s the difficulty of being a woman in the contemporary world,” Keira tells us about the one cause she’s most passionate about. “To all the women out there, I believe that what you have to say or think is more important than being channelised towards the world’s perspective of better living.”
{{/usCountry}}“Once a part of the modelling sphere, I have experienced cameras following you around and people grading you on a scale of one to ten. That’s the difficulty of being a woman in the contemporary world,” Keira tells us about the one cause she’s most passionate about. “To all the women out there, I believe that what you have to say or think is more important than being channelised towards the world’s perspective of better living.”
{{/usCountry}}Millennial, not millennial
We begin our chat with the former teen star pointing to her most non-millennial trait of them all: her lack of presence on social media.
“Balance is easier to find when you’re not on social media,” says Keira. She has obviously thought about this before. “Not being on social allows me the privacy I need to be able to work, or simply switch off.”
But surely, she can’t rubbish the entire world of social communication? Keira replies, “I admit that social media has played a huge part in allowing a new generation to show their talent online, and this is a wonderful thing. But it does mean we need to be more careful and responsible with our content, and also with how we respond to other people.”
Turns out, Keira’s biggest grouse with social media is that of overconnectivity: we don’t know when to switch off. “Whatever happened to meeting up with friends and going out for drinks? Whatever happened to taking a pause?” she asks. “As a working mother, finding the time to pause can be challenging in itself, but just sitting back to enjoy the moment is also incredibly important to me. Whether it’s being out for the evening with friends, or at home, spending time with family, that balance is what we must all try to create.”
Personal ideas meet professional commitments for Keira Knightley as she points us to the #SavourThePause campaign for Black Dog that she is currently lending her name to.
“It’s interesting how the idea of taking that moment and relishing it resonates with the kind of person I am. I’ve always believed that there is a way to find balance, even with the busy schedules and work hours we put in as professionals. Especially the generation of young achievers: we tend to always enjoy the hustle and pace of life, forgetting how important it is to take that break. I feel it helps you find your core balance and centres you to get back to your hustle.”
Social media 101
Does that mean we will never see Keira interact with her fans on social media? We understand the pitfalls of being overconnected, but surely there are ways of taking time off when needed?
“I think it’s really important to take time out for yourself: to reflect and refresh before you get back to work the next day,” she says. “Social media has not only been a way to connect people, but has evolved into creating platforms for various vocations, commerce etc. It doesn’t just transform the way we interact, but also the way we live. Personally, I avoid its pitfalls by just not being on social media. It’s the time I’m out in nature and being lost in the moment that allows me to truly pause. Meeting up with friends, not online, for a drink is what does it for me.”
India for a start
We now turn the spotlight to our country which has a special place in Keira’s heart. It was Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham, after all, that catapulted her into the big league of superstars.
“We are really lucky to have an Indian community in London with some really great restaurants,” says Keira, obviously excited to talk about all things India. “I’m so looking forward to my first trip soon, when I can experience the culture first-hand.”
“When shooting for Bend It… I was happy to see a glimpse of Indian culture, food and diversity, but it was just a glimpse,” she says. “I don’t know about starring in a Bollywood film, but I do know that the industry is peppered with amazing talent, and it’s nice to see so many women playing leading roles in mainstream cinema today.”
Tell us more about what you discovered about India whilst shooting with Gurinder Chadha, we prod. “The amazing hospitality was on full display,” she says. “When we were filming, the director’s family would come and bring us delicious food to try. It was such a treat! Bend It… is one special movie of my life and will always be my first love. I remember thinking how kind the Indian family was.”
Agenda 2020
As talk veers to the pandemic, Keira admits she has some habits she must shake off. “I had been wearing pyjamas all day during the lockdowns and as I started to wear them regularly, all fashion rules felt irrelevant. Their comfort was my modest stress-reliever during the home shelter, and it will continue to be a part of my lifestyle,” she says.
But, that doesn’t mean she’s not ready to get out of them and return to normalcy. “The biggest issue was not being able to meet our loved ones,” she says. “The last two years have been so hard on everyone and we’re all waiting for the world to open up so we can enjoy socialising and spending more time with the people in our lives we love most. Although the respite from routine seemed pleasant at first, I do enjoy meeting friends, and am hoping to work on some good projects, and even attend events in 2022.”
Keira believes that normalcy is close. “I am enthusiastic about travelling more in 2022, whether for leisure or for work,” she says emphatically. “I want to organise reunions with friends, family and co-workers. I want to do in-person networking. I need the mobility to explore the world and make an optimistic beginning to the life ahead.”
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From HT Brunch, April 23, 2022
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