Ja, Kajol gibt tatsächlich Interviews *gg* In der Zeit bevor UMAH rauskam waren es ja doch mehrere aber davor und auch jetzt danach hält sie sich wieder sehr zurück. Ab und zu gibt es aber doch welche ;-)
Her comeback film, U, Me Aur Hum might have garnered mixed reviews but Kajol remains a darling in the public eye. The actress who made a strong statement when she retreated from stardom to domesticity, talks of her equation with her mother and plans for her daughter, Nysa.
You always claimed you hated interviews and meeting the Press. And so it remains (laughs). I have been meeting people because I had something to talk about. I was promoting a film as an actor, producer and the director’s wife. That’s the reason I’m all over and it’s best to be upfront about it.
You have turned grey for your role in UMAH. What’s your idea of turning old in real life? I hope I age like my mom. Her energy levels at this age are commendable and she’s also managed to keep looking great. I hope I resemble her at that age.
Has motherhood really calmed you? In some ways, “Yes” but in a lot of ways “No”. In fact, motherhood has made me intolerant towards many things. Bratty children irritate me and I blame it on their parents. I’m disturbed by the fact that there are many children who’re deprived of their basic education and rights. I want to do something about it but only when I can devote substantial energy, time and patience to the cause; I don’t want it to be a part time thing.
You have expressed disenchantment with the Indian education system in the past. What are your plans for Nysa? Well I can say for a fact that I will push her to work hard but I’ll make sure that she enjoys her childhood. I believe in hard work but I don’t agree with excessive pressure on children. If we’re facing a burnout at our age it must be doubly tough on the poor kids. They are crumbling under the pressure. A look at the burgeoning suicide rates provides evidence of this fact. You can’t build children’s life and routine around the grades they get in school.
Has your equation with your mother changed? I will always be her baby and that’s one equation I don’t want to change! On a larger note, whenever I’m correcting Nysa I think of my mother and feel, “God, my mom said the same thing to me and I didn’t listen to her.” I try to recall what was going on in my head at that time but today I appreciate her. As an adult I realise that her advice had my best interests at heart. I hope Nysa grows up with that realisation as well. Her latest offering, Superstar India: From Incredible to Unstoppable, is ostensibly a departure from her sensational novels. Presently on an 11 city book tour before the book goes global, she speaks of her writing process and how she manages to spend time with her family.
How did Superstar India come about? It was a happy coincidence—I was just back from a trip abroad and had a meeting scheduled with my publisher. Hearing me express my angst at the clichés that are rife about India, my publisher pointed out that I had a book in the making.
So the book is designed to instill rage? Yes, to an extent. But far more importantly, I want people who read it to feel proud. I’m not a messiah but I do believe that today’s generation has patriotic feelings that need to be articulated.
You reiterate that you resent being addressed as a “woman writer”. What do you feel about women’s writing being branded as “chick lit”? It’s an easy put down. Women who go along with it should be the ones protesting the most. There are some super macho books out there with alpha male protagonists written for an alpha male reader but those don’t get branded as niche. It’s grown into a trendy genre and it’s easy to succumb to it because if you position your book that way it might be a success.
Do you believe motherhood makes a woman more creative? There’s a tendency to mystify motherhood and I’d like to break that mould. I don’t think there’s anything exceptional about being a mother or unexceptional if you choose not to be one. Having said that, if I had to personalise the experience, I can’t think of anything that has been more exhilarating and fulfilling. But I don’t like attaching a political agenda to my motherhood.
How do you manage to spend time with your family with travel and book tours? 90 per cent of the time, I travel with someone from my family. These days, I have to plead with my children to accompany me because they have lives of their own. Sometimes it feels like I have to stand in a long queue of their priorities, but it works out. Travelling together is the best kind of bonding. Also, my work never cuts into family time. I’m sure my children have their own versions to the story but judging by what wonderful children they’ve turned out to be, I’m sure I’ve done a pretty good job as a mother!
KAJOL, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday, tells SHUBHA SHETTY-SAHA how it feels turning a year older
Talking to us a day before her 34th birthday, Kajol is full of anticipation. “I am sure Ajay (Devgan) and Nysa will throw a surprise bash for me. It’s a good excuse for all of us to get together and have a party,” she says.
Ask her if she plans to cook something special and she laughs, “I don’t know how to cook at all. I know how to eat though. I am a complete foodie and I don’t care what I eat as long as it’s tasty and edible.”
She says though she is sure to get some gifts from Ajay and Nysa, she is not expecting anything in particular. “I try not to expect things. God though always pleasantly surprises me,” she says.
Kajol is someone who enjoys the almost irreplaceable position in the industry. However, she insists that career has never been her mainstay.
“It’s not like my priorities have changed over the years after marriage and motherhood. My first priority has always been my family, even when I was much younger. Family has, and will always be, the top of the rung for me. Of course, I enjoyed my work. Who doesn’t like being liked? And I love to hear when people say you are good,” she says with her characteristic guffaw.
Right now, though, she is busy with one thing – her fitness regime. Even though she is quite fit now, she just wants to get better.
“If you are into working out it is a never-ending challenge. You never feel fit enough. I absolutely love my workouts. I do them because I truly enjoy doing them,” she says. Ask her what’s the best thing about her life right now and she says with a serene smile, “I am happy and at peace. Peace of mind is the most important thing to me right now. Happiness is also something that you can’t get from outside. You alone have the power to make yourself happy and that has to come from within.”
Here’s wishing her a lot more of happiness and peace