FILM INTERVIEW: KAJOL
'My Name Is Khan' and 'DDLJ' Star Almost Walked Away From UTV's 'We Are Family'
Bollywood actress Kajol enjoys her real-time family life with Ajay Devgn, yet the motherly role she has taken up in the Karan Johar production of Siddharth Malhotra’s We Are Family, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, is not quite the accurate depiction of how she is at home with those she loves dearest. In playing the lead role of the ill-begotten mother who must make room for a stepmother, Kajol told the press she is happy with the way the fictional character of Maya, in the UTV Pictures and Sony Pictures remake of Stepmom, contrasts her real-life persona.
Yet Kajol is also happy with how Maya, who is loosely based upon Susan Sarandon’s character in Stepmom (which also starred Julia Roberts and Ed Harris), represents much of the actress’s outlook on how to live in the context of motherhood and family.
“I like it and am very happy. Instead of trying to live up to the people’s expectations, I feel I should continue to depend upon what I feel is right,” Kajol humbly shared with the press about her perspectives on Maya. “I am an instinctive person and not a planner. I don’t deny my age and I want to do what I am today. I don’t intend to play a 16-year-old on screen.”
A few months ago, Kajol thought she knew exactly what she wanted — a much-deserved break after completing the lead female role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Fox Star’s production of Johar’s My Name Is Khan. Despite liking the script and exchanging positive pleasantries with Malhotra, Kajol did not think she had the energy to do another film so quickly.
Just the same, Kajol was also concerned about whether she would be able to distinguish herself enough from Sarandon’s character in Stepmom, allowing people to appreciate the Bollywood actress’s work on her own merits.
“My Name Is Khan was a huge film, and we had to travel a lot. I was very tired. When Sidharth approached me, I was not interested. I liked the script but did still did not want to work,” she candidly told the press in a recent interview. “(Also,) I didn’t want Stepmom to influence me. Maya is a different character from the original one, yet there are similarities. But things just fell in place for the project and I was on board.”
On board she is and, in light of the messages presented in We Are Family, Kajol was more than candid with her perspectives on how a woman’s life changes after marriage and motherhood.
“After marriage, a woman’s priorities change and it is normal. I consider it as a progression and not stopping your life,” she insightfully told the press. “Work is part of your life. I like to balance everything. Too much of everything is not good. I was always picky and choosy.”
Of course, one thing she is not picky and choosy about is the relationships she has forged in life. Beyond her rock-solid marriage to Ajay Devgn, Kajol also has very strong feelings for Bebo and Johar.
“We worked together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham,” Kajol said of the younger Kapoor, “but there was less interaction then, as we had only two scenes together. In this film, we had to interact and react to each other. She rose up to the challenge and has given a good performance. More than camaraderie, the interaction between us was interesting. The tension between our characters is correct, and I hope it comes across on screen.”
Kajol had similar sentiments to share about the film’s producer, Johar, who also oversees Dharma Productions.
“Karan is my friend, and I have always felt that connection with him. The definition of a friend, for me, is somebody that you chose and not that you are born with,” she stated to the press. “Karan is more than a brother. It’s a unique and fantastic friendship which I am grateful to have in my life.”
Hopefully such words spoken will also be taken away from audiences who will surely fill multiplexes this weekend to take in We Are Family, which opens worldwide on September 3rd.
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