Katrina Kaif's mother and her life off the grid

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif settled in India quite some time ago, building a successful career and establishing herself as both an actress and an entrepreneur. She leads a luxurious personal life. Her mother, Suzanne Turquotte, on the other hand, chose a completely different path. She has kept herself away from the limelight and the comforts of a lavish lifestyle, dedicating years to working for underprivileged children and communities in rural Tamil Nadu.

Suzanne used to live in London, UK, before moving to Tamil Nadu in 2008. There, she founded an NGO called ‘Relief Projects India’. Initially, her goal was to provide free evening study sessions for students attending government schools in rural areas. Over time, this initiative evolved into a broader social development organisation.

Currently, the organisation runs various programmes focused on education, healthcare and child protection.

In 2015, Suzanne established the ‘Mountain View School’. It began as a small nursery school with fewer than 30 students, most of whom were children from economically disadvantaged villages. Later, the institution expanded into a full-fledged nursery and primary school, with the student body growing to more than 300.

Katrina has frequently spoken about her mother’s dedication to charitable work and the influence it has had on her. In an interview with ABP nearly a decade ago, Katrina said, “My mother lives in Madurai, where she established a school for children. She is a teacher and teaches there herself. And she is happy. It is because of her charitable work and her blessings that I have reached where I am today.”

Reflecting on the challenges of village life, the actress said, “Living there isn’t easy. Access to electricity is limited; there is power for only 12 hours a day. Sometimes, I cannot speak to my mother via video call because there is no electricity or internet connection. At those times, we speak over a regular phone call.”

Katrina has been familiar with her mother’s work since childhood. In an interview with Colors Cineplex, Katrina Kaif said, “I grew up in various countries around the world. There were many people living below the poverty line in those countries, just as there are in ours. So, the issue is very familiar to me, especially since my mother was involved in charitable work. We didn’t grow up with excessive privileges or luxury; our childhood was very simple and frugal. That is the kind of life I come from.”

When she began her career in the Indian film industry, Katrina had no financial resources. Recalling that time, the actress said, “When I started working in the industry, I had absolutely no money. I had to work to succeed. Had I not succeeded, I would have had to look for another job that offered security.”

Katrina made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with the film ‘Boom’, though the movie failed to make a significant impact. The following year, she acted in the Telugu film ‘Malliswari’, which also proved to be a commercial failure.

She returned to Bollywood in 2005, starring in the film ‘Sarkar’, which achieved box-office success. Katrina Kaif has navigated various ups and downs throughout her acting career, delivering popular and commercially successful films such as ‘Race’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and ‘Dhoom 3’.

Katrina Kaif was last seen in the 2024 film ‘Merry Christmas’, directed by Sriram Raghavan, where she starred alongside South Indian actor Vijay Sethupathi. Since then, she has stepped away from the limelight of the glamorous world, momentarily following in her mother’s footsteps, and is currently on maternity leave. Recently, she has been at the centre of discussions after becoming a victim of body-shaming.

- NS