Post by nisa on Apr 19, 2008 23:29:34 GMT 12
Kajol: “I Don’t See Why I Should Do Dark Films!”
By R.M. VIJAYAKAR
Special to India-West
MUMBAI — She could be termed India Inc. in a way. An amalgam of the West (mom Tanuja is a Maharashtrian) and the East (dad Shomu Mukerji is a Bengali), she has married Ajay Devgan (from the North)!
Kajol is bubbly, but there is always a sense of insecurity when you meet the mercurial actress. Admitting that she has cooled down a lot, she still makes you feel as if the next question can make a volcano erupt and spill out red-hot lava. The interviewer from India-West finds the cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof sensation never really goes away despite her cheerful replies.
As an actress, she has had few equals. As a star who commands a draw of her own, Mrs. Ajay Devgan is the last of the female superstars. A slew of awards for (happily) mainstream cinema like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” “Gupt,” “Dushman,” “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…” and solid performances in “Yeh Dillagi,” “Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha,” “Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi” and “Fanaa” stand out as much for her caliber and professional judgment as her turning down films that turned turtle and were poor cinema like “Dil Se…” and “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.” Of course, the lady who made a striking debut in the 1992 dud “Bekhudi” also had her share of misjudgments like “Sapnay,” but then exceptions prove the rule, don’t they?
Excerpts from an interview:
Q: “U, Me Aur Hum” is not just your home production but marks your husband’s directorial debut. So was it designed around you?
A: No way. But as Ajay was working with his writers, I was aware of how the script was progressing and at one point I said, “I am doing this film!” The heroine had to be cast according to the script.
Q: Maybe they subconsciously did work with you in mind.
A: Maybe. (Smiles enigmatically)
Q: Ajay wants to give a message through the film on the permanence of love and marriage.
A: I do believe in that too. “U, Me Aur Hum” is the story of three couples, each in a different relationship. The film is about how we must work on relationships and how we usually stop doing that. And we have to work daily, not just on one Valentine’s Day! In theory I believe completely in that. Man creates his own problems, but no problem has ever been bigger than man.
Q: Any examples on how Ajay and you work at this?
A: There are no examples that I can give, for if you give importance to your relationship you keep doing it. You can’t put a finger on something and say “I do this” or “I avoid doing that.”
Q: Has Nysa’s arrival strengthened the efforts? And have you two changed as human beings after making this film?
A: No, the only change may be that Ajay and I have one more topic to talk about — Nysa! I think that our relationship grows every day. And the film’s message is about every relationship — with your mother, sister or friend too.
Q: When “K3G” and “Fanaa” were made, they were called your “comebacks.” But now you are open to films.
A: Yeah, but I am working on slowing down even more because I want to give still more time to Nysa. I want to be with her till her education is complete. Work is just a part of your life, not a priority. I have never been ambitious anyway, like I will never turn director because I am too laid back.
Q: But you must have goals.
A: Definitely. I need to become a better person. I have goals other than work, and I have goals for my kids, that is, I am interested in what they are growing up to be.
Q: To come back to the film, how do you rate Ajay as a director?
A: He’s very good. Ajay wanted to be a director since he was 8 years old. I think that he was sidetracked into acting! Still I think that he is a better director for having been an actor. He’s worked very hard on the film. Ajay was very clear of what he wanted, and of course we had a bound script. And so he was very convincing on the sets.
Q: How was the feeling of shooting a sequence without a living cameraman looking at you?
A: (Laughs) Oh you mean the helicam? Well, it was exciting! I remember that the whole unit came to watch on that day! I clicked a picture of Nysa standing next to the helicam, and though she is five, the helicopter came only up to her shoulder! I remember looking at its two operators who looked like two boys playing a video game together, but when we watched the shots, we were awestruck. No cinematographer in a helicopter could have quite managed anything like that. It was Ajay’s idea to use a helicam because he had visualized the shots that way. It’s a first in Indian cinema.
Q: Ajay and you have done seven films and so many ads. But “Rock-N-Roll Family” is your first television show together. What made you take it up?
A: We have been offered shows in the past and we have become judges and guests on a few. But what we liked about the show was the concept and the family values in it. We especially liked the message that age is not a deterrent for anyone to contribute to a family’s growth and achievements.
Q: What’s happening on “Mr. Khan”? Karan Johar wants you to do every film of his, but this time he says that you have agreed to do the film.
A: Karan has yet to give me a narration, and I will decide on doing the film after that.
Q: Karan is one of your trusted buddies. Is a narration needed?
A: I think Karan is too close a friend to do that to me — make me accept a film blindly.
Q: Your choice of films, happily, has always been mainstream cinema.
A: Firstly, I have never believed in films being categorized, especially in this day and age when every kind of superb script is working at the box-office. But I hate morbid and dark movies, and I will never do films that I will not like to watch myself. I am that kind of person and that’s my choice.
Q: There are actors who come across essentially the same, even in extreme roles like a terrorist and a simple village girl. And then there is you — who do essentially the same role in most films and yet come up trumps etching different and memorable characters. What’s the big secret?
A: I think that again, I have believed in all my films. I have always gone for strong scripts, my directors have worked on me, and my co-stars and everyone else have helped. (Narrows her eyes) Maybe I have also contributed a little bit too!
Q: After Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and you, there has been no female superstar who has her own draw at the box-office irrespective of the hero. Why do you think this is so?
A: Why heroines, I think that the era of stars and star-system is over. Yes, there are a few heroes who sell, but they are the exceptions. The business has changed completely, so has the audience point of view. And change is important. Indian filmmakers are at their creative best today. So much young blood is flowing in, which is great.
Q: The ‘90s heroines have all but faded away. You are the exception even there.
A: I think that too much is being made of this. I think that the industry does not change towards an actress, but the actress herself changes within. She perceives herself differently in time, and that’s not wrong in itself either — priorities can change. So she makes a choice, which may be that, for example, she may not want to come back after quitting for marriage. For example, I would love to watch Madhuri Dixit in a new film even now — she is just superb in “Aaja Nachle.” And choosing the right roles becomes important as you get to a different stage.
Q: What does Kajol watch and read?
A: I barely watch movies — I haven’t even seen much of my mother’s, aunt Nutan’s or grandmother Shobhana Samarth’s films. I am a voracious reader but I’m afraid I read complete trash like my fantasy fictions, my Mills & Boon stories and my historical romances. Complete pulp fiction is what interests me!
Q: You are perceived as being very moody, very mercurial. What has created that image?
A: Umm… maybe it’s because I don’t suffer fools gladly? I have no patience with stupidity.
FILMOGRAPHY
1992 Bekhudi
1993 BAAZIGAR
1994 YEH DILLAGI, Udhaar Ki Zindagi
1995 DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE, KARAN ARJUN, Gundaraj, Hulchul, Taaqat
1996 Bambai Ka Babu
1997 GUPT, Hameshaa, Sapnay (dubbed), ISHQ
1998 Dushman, PYAAR KIYA TO DARNA KYA, PYAAR TO HONA HI THA, KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI
1999 Dil Kya Kare, Hote Hote Pyaar Ho Gaya
2000 Raju Chacha
2001 KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM…, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi
2006 FANAA
2008 U, Me Aur Hum (releasing April 11)
Cameos:
Duplicate (1998), KAL HO NAA HO (2003), KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA (2006)
Source:http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?su...t_from=&ucat=7
By R.M. VIJAYAKAR
Special to India-West
MUMBAI — She could be termed India Inc. in a way. An amalgam of the West (mom Tanuja is a Maharashtrian) and the East (dad Shomu Mukerji is a Bengali), she has married Ajay Devgan (from the North)!
Kajol is bubbly, but there is always a sense of insecurity when you meet the mercurial actress. Admitting that she has cooled down a lot, she still makes you feel as if the next question can make a volcano erupt and spill out red-hot lava. The interviewer from India-West finds the cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof sensation never really goes away despite her cheerful replies.
As an actress, she has had few equals. As a star who commands a draw of her own, Mrs. Ajay Devgan is the last of the female superstars. A slew of awards for (happily) mainstream cinema like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” “Gupt,” “Dushman,” “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…” and solid performances in “Yeh Dillagi,” “Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha,” “Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi” and “Fanaa” stand out as much for her caliber and professional judgment as her turning down films that turned turtle and were poor cinema like “Dil Se…” and “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.” Of course, the lady who made a striking debut in the 1992 dud “Bekhudi” also had her share of misjudgments like “Sapnay,” but then exceptions prove the rule, don’t they?
Excerpts from an interview:
Q: “U, Me Aur Hum” is not just your home production but marks your husband’s directorial debut. So was it designed around you?
A: No way. But as Ajay was working with his writers, I was aware of how the script was progressing and at one point I said, “I am doing this film!” The heroine had to be cast according to the script.
Q: Maybe they subconsciously did work with you in mind.
A: Maybe. (Smiles enigmatically)
Q: Ajay wants to give a message through the film on the permanence of love and marriage.
A: I do believe in that too. “U, Me Aur Hum” is the story of three couples, each in a different relationship. The film is about how we must work on relationships and how we usually stop doing that. And we have to work daily, not just on one Valentine’s Day! In theory I believe completely in that. Man creates his own problems, but no problem has ever been bigger than man.
Q: Any examples on how Ajay and you work at this?
A: There are no examples that I can give, for if you give importance to your relationship you keep doing it. You can’t put a finger on something and say “I do this” or “I avoid doing that.”
Q: Has Nysa’s arrival strengthened the efforts? And have you two changed as human beings after making this film?
A: No, the only change may be that Ajay and I have one more topic to talk about — Nysa! I think that our relationship grows every day. And the film’s message is about every relationship — with your mother, sister or friend too.
Q: When “K3G” and “Fanaa” were made, they were called your “comebacks.” But now you are open to films.
A: Yeah, but I am working on slowing down even more because I want to give still more time to Nysa. I want to be with her till her education is complete. Work is just a part of your life, not a priority. I have never been ambitious anyway, like I will never turn director because I am too laid back.
Q: But you must have goals.
A: Definitely. I need to become a better person. I have goals other than work, and I have goals for my kids, that is, I am interested in what they are growing up to be.
Q: To come back to the film, how do you rate Ajay as a director?
A: He’s very good. Ajay wanted to be a director since he was 8 years old. I think that he was sidetracked into acting! Still I think that he is a better director for having been an actor. He’s worked very hard on the film. Ajay was very clear of what he wanted, and of course we had a bound script. And so he was very convincing on the sets.
Q: How was the feeling of shooting a sequence without a living cameraman looking at you?
A: (Laughs) Oh you mean the helicam? Well, it was exciting! I remember that the whole unit came to watch on that day! I clicked a picture of Nysa standing next to the helicam, and though she is five, the helicopter came only up to her shoulder! I remember looking at its two operators who looked like two boys playing a video game together, but when we watched the shots, we were awestruck. No cinematographer in a helicopter could have quite managed anything like that. It was Ajay’s idea to use a helicam because he had visualized the shots that way. It’s a first in Indian cinema.
Q: Ajay and you have done seven films and so many ads. But “Rock-N-Roll Family” is your first television show together. What made you take it up?
A: We have been offered shows in the past and we have become judges and guests on a few. But what we liked about the show was the concept and the family values in it. We especially liked the message that age is not a deterrent for anyone to contribute to a family’s growth and achievements.
Q: What’s happening on “Mr. Khan”? Karan Johar wants you to do every film of his, but this time he says that you have agreed to do the film.
A: Karan has yet to give me a narration, and I will decide on doing the film after that.
Q: Karan is one of your trusted buddies. Is a narration needed?
A: I think Karan is too close a friend to do that to me — make me accept a film blindly.
Q: Your choice of films, happily, has always been mainstream cinema.
A: Firstly, I have never believed in films being categorized, especially in this day and age when every kind of superb script is working at the box-office. But I hate morbid and dark movies, and I will never do films that I will not like to watch myself. I am that kind of person and that’s my choice.
Q: There are actors who come across essentially the same, even in extreme roles like a terrorist and a simple village girl. And then there is you — who do essentially the same role in most films and yet come up trumps etching different and memorable characters. What’s the big secret?
A: I think that again, I have believed in all my films. I have always gone for strong scripts, my directors have worked on me, and my co-stars and everyone else have helped. (Narrows her eyes) Maybe I have also contributed a little bit too!
Q: After Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and you, there has been no female superstar who has her own draw at the box-office irrespective of the hero. Why do you think this is so?
A: Why heroines, I think that the era of stars and star-system is over. Yes, there are a few heroes who sell, but they are the exceptions. The business has changed completely, so has the audience point of view. And change is important. Indian filmmakers are at their creative best today. So much young blood is flowing in, which is great.
Q: The ‘90s heroines have all but faded away. You are the exception even there.
A: I think that too much is being made of this. I think that the industry does not change towards an actress, but the actress herself changes within. She perceives herself differently in time, and that’s not wrong in itself either — priorities can change. So she makes a choice, which may be that, for example, she may not want to come back after quitting for marriage. For example, I would love to watch Madhuri Dixit in a new film even now — she is just superb in “Aaja Nachle.” And choosing the right roles becomes important as you get to a different stage.
Q: What does Kajol watch and read?
A: I barely watch movies — I haven’t even seen much of my mother’s, aunt Nutan’s or grandmother Shobhana Samarth’s films. I am a voracious reader but I’m afraid I read complete trash like my fantasy fictions, my Mills & Boon stories and my historical romances. Complete pulp fiction is what interests me!
Q: You are perceived as being very moody, very mercurial. What has created that image?
A: Umm… maybe it’s because I don’t suffer fools gladly? I have no patience with stupidity.
FILMOGRAPHY
1992 Bekhudi
1993 BAAZIGAR
1994 YEH DILLAGI, Udhaar Ki Zindagi
1995 DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE, KARAN ARJUN, Gundaraj, Hulchul, Taaqat
1996 Bambai Ka Babu
1997 GUPT, Hameshaa, Sapnay (dubbed), ISHQ
1998 Dushman, PYAAR KIYA TO DARNA KYA, PYAAR TO HONA HI THA, KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI
1999 Dil Kya Kare, Hote Hote Pyaar Ho Gaya
2000 Raju Chacha
2001 KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM…, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi
2006 FANAA
2008 U, Me Aur Hum (releasing April 11)
Cameos:
Duplicate (1998), KAL HO NAA HO (2003), KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA (2006)
Source:http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?su...t_from=&ucat=7