‘I had great working relationship with Aamir, Akshay, Saif and even Salman’ - Kajol in conversation with G9 Divya Solgama.

‘I had great working relationship with Aamir, Akshay, Saif and even Salman’ - Kajol in conversation with G9 Divya Solgama.

‘Kajol’ has been charming her fans right from the nineties era till date, due to her various films like ‘DilwaleDulhaniya Le Jayenge’, ‘Fanaah’, ‘PyaarKiyaTohDarna Kya’, ‘KabhiKhushiKabhiGham’, ‘KuchKuchHotaHain’, ‘Bazigar’ and many more. Our Bollywood Guide ‘G9 DivyaSolgama’ had the pleasure of speaking with her where she spoke about her upcoming film ‘Dilwale’, her husband ‘Ajay Devgn’ & her favourite co-star ‘Shahrukh Khan’.

Kajol, since last two decades you and Shahrukh Khan have a huge history of blockbuster hit films.So whenever you sign a new film opposite him, is there an additional pressure on you?

Kajol – Fortunately for me, I am at that financial stage that I don’t have to work if I don’t want to. Therefore, it is easier for me to have that choice and to wait for the right film. Also, I truly believe this that when I choose a film I have to absolutely believe that this film is the right thing for me to do. All the time taken away from my kids and family is justified. So, that in itself is a huge pressure for me and besides that there is no additional pressure on me. Regarding the huge history of blockbuster hit films, I don’t know what to say as we started working with each other at an earlier stage of our life maybe, due to it the ‘jodi’ still looks good. But, I think it also has got to do with the fact, that, in comparison to other ‘jodi’s’, we have done very less films. Also, the fact that we never do any film without reasons, we will work only when we share a same opinion and feel that this is the right script for us. We have always said yes for a film without any pressure or influence of anyone. I did not do ‘Dilwale’ as it’s a Shahrukh film or produced by his banner Red Chillies, I signed it as I found the role appealing and liked the script. There has to be some good role for me to do in the film I sign opposite Shahrukh. We never let our personal relationships influence our work and maybe that’s the reason for doing good films together.

Kajol, you are working with Shahrukh Khan after half a decade. So as an actor did you find any changes in him or is he the same Shahrukh with whom you have been working around since the nineties era.

Kajol – Frankly speaking on the sets I don’t find any difference in Shahrukh, which I find is amazing because I have become lazy. Honestly, since my childhood I was lazy while Shahrukh has the ability to do every film with same ‘josh’ and the same passion. In every shot he wants to be the best in whatever his role is. Often he would say to Rohit Shetty, that I’ll give this shot in this way, I’ll give this shot in that way. I would say to him ‘Shahrukh, calm down its 12 o’clock in night, please don’t show so much enthusiasm, ‘thodasakumkarle’. But on serious note I find that amazing, I find that passion, amazing. I find that interest amazing, that for every shot and every character, whether it was ‘My Name Is Khan’ or ‘K3G’, whether it was Rahul or Raj, he has the same eagerness and the zeal to get everything right for that film or his character.

Kajol, your association with Shahrukh started with ‘Baazigar’ but very few people know that he was not the original choice in the film and was the last moment replacement. So kindly let us know about your first meet with Shahrukh on the shoot of ‘Baazigar’, from where this magical journey began.

Kajol – I clearly remember it was the first day of the new year where we were shooting a random scene featuring Shahrukh and DalipTahil. I came on the set at the right time as I sleep and wake up very early. I was around nineteen years old and at that time I was very talkative and loud, my voice was very high pitch and when I used to talk it used to be very loud. At that time I was very good friends with Shahrukh’s makeup man, Ravi Dada. We both used to sit and blabber about everyone at the sets. That day also we were blabbering and bitching about everyone and at that time I looked at the new hero of the film and asked Ravi Dada (in Marathi) ‘isn’t your hero bit weird, he hardly speaks, what’s is problem, etc’. Ravi Dada also reciprocated by saying (in Marathi) ‘he is like that only’. Now on the other side Shahrukh this Delhi boy had absolutely no idea what we were talking as at that time he did not understand a single word of Marathi. Later I came to know that he had such a bad hangover about my and Ravi Dada’s loud chat. I was just talking on and on and then finally, director Abbas-Mustan came and introduced each other. At that time Shahrukh gave me those dirty angry type of looks and we started discussing the scene. After few hours, Shahrukh came out from his comfort zone and started talking. After that he kept on talking continuously leaving me behind and that’s when the ice was broken. Slowly, we became good friends due to this over talkative nature of ours. We kept doing more films due to which our friendship grew and we felt comfortable in each other’s company. A trust was formed and we just continued to be good friends which continued from film to film to film.

Kajol, VarunDhawan told us that he had great fun working with you. So share us some anecdote related to Varun on the sets of ‘Dilwale’.

Kajol – I, Varun and Kriti were supposed to do an emotional scene where Varun was supposed to cry and say long dialogues. Now for some strange reasons, whenever Varun started getting emotional, I used to start laughing without any reasons due to which he also used to start laughing. I was supposed to give him a cue and after giving the cue I used to roll on the floor laughing. Once I and Varun started laughing, everyone on the set’s started laughing too including films director Rohit Shetty. We were shooting since morning till midnight, so maybe after midnight everyone becomes mad. It’s something to do with the midnight masti (laughs).

Lastly, Kajolspeaking about the ‘jodi’, besides Shahrukh you also worked in many films with your husband Ajay Devgn. Why is that despite of few good films, the ‘jodi’ failed to create the magic on the silver screen also how do you rate him as an actor.

Kajol – As far as Ajay and me are concerned we have all different kind of subjects. Most of them were serious subjects and then there were some frivolous films like ‘Hulchul’ & ‘Gundaraj’, but then there were few good films like ‘Pyar To Hona Hi Tha’, ‘Ishq’, ‘Dil Kya Kare’ & ‘U Me Aur Hum’. Then there were films like ‘RajuChacha’ or ‘ToonpurKa Superhero’, so in short we have done all different and fantastic films. Being a husband and wife, it’s just that when we come together the kind of films we do together has to be very suited to us as a couple and that we have not come across as yet. As far as any other co-star is concerned I had great time working with each and every one of them. Be it Aamir, Akshay, Saif or even Salman, I had great working relationship with them. Whenever I meet them we meet with so much warmth and now that it’s been so many years, I also know their family members very well now. I never have any issues over working with anybody. So besides Shahrukh I also had good working relationship with many other actors including Ajay. I am a big fan of Ajay and his work in films like ‘Drishyam’, ‘Company’, ‘Legend Of Bhagat Singh’, ‘Zakham’, ‘Hum Dil De ChukeSanam’, ‘U Me Aur Hum’ and many more bouquet of films where I just loved him. Honestly, I like him on screen and feel he is such a fine actor that even those characters which are larger than life, he carries off with an ease and looks totally convincing