Page 70 - October 2018 converted

helicopTer eela acTor Kajol:

i learnT SomeThing new wiTh

every film

rom understanding the craft of acting to the importance of body

language and on-screen chemistry, Kajol learnt the basics of
Fher profession one film at a time over her two decade-long
career.
In an interview, ahead of her upcoming film Helicopter Eela, Kajol,
one of the most spontaneous actors in the industry, talks learning the
ropes of acting on set.
The actor lists down three films — her 1992 debut Bekhudi, Udhar
Ki Zindagi(1994) and Dushman(1998) as her favourites. While the
first two films may not have been blockbusters, but they helped her
grow as an artiste.
“All the films are completely different from Bekhudi to Udhar Ki

Zindagi’ to Dushman to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. There was no connect
but that’s what drove me to take up these films as I learnt something
new every time as an actor,” Kajol says.
Bekhudi, directed by Rahul Rawail, marked Kajol’s entry in films and
the actor credits the movie for teaching her the basic essentials of
filmmaking – from facing the camera to gaining technical knowledge.
“I learnt so much on that film. Rahul uncle was one of the best
teachers in that aspect as far as the nuances were concerned. It was
one of the first films in which I worked with screenwriter and fashion

photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha and make-up artiste Mickey scene in it. I didn’t want to enact that. I felt it would be difficult
Contractor, they were amazing with me.” for me. I am not comfortable with somebody doing that to me
The film also has a special place in her heart as her real-life mother on-screen, even for a shot or whatever,” Kajol adds.
Tanuja played her on-screen mom. But director Tanuja Chandra and producer Pooja Bhatt
Talking about Udhar Ki Zindagi, Kajol says the film was so intense assured her that they will shoot the scene aesthetically and
that she suffered from a burnout in “a weird way”. use a body double.
“… I remember having a conversation during Baazigar with Shah “They told me they just need one close-up shot and that they
Rukh Khan and he told me, I should learn how to act and I was like, will manage it. They lived up to their promise. When you watch
‘I am doing so fabulously well’. He told me I need to burn out as an the film, you can’t make out. They handled it so well. I am glad
actor, I felt, ‘he talks nonsense sometimes.’” I did the film.”
“But when I was shooting for Udhar Ki Zindagi, I was like, ‘I can’t do The 1998 psychological thriller was well received by critics

films that are so heavy, it sucks so much out of you’. I did not want and it was the seventh highest grossing Hindi film of the that
to do that anymore.” year. It was Dushman that helped Kajol master the art of body
Kajol remembers discussing with Tanuja that she wanted to do language, she says.
lighter films and not be part of emotionally draining movies. “… I “There were two sisters, so you have comparisons against
(told her) that I want to do films with three songs, three scenes, etc. yourself. You had to be better than yourself in a weird way.
So I signed up films like Hulchul and Gundaraj, among others.” We had to work towards that, but it was a fabulous learning
But after taking up a series of light-hearted films, Kajol changed her experience. There were so many parts in the film where there
mind and featured in hard-hitting film like Dushman. The actor says were no dialogues. There were lengthy scenes but at the
she had initially rejected the project. same time, a lot was established without saying too much.

“I had said ‘no’ to it because I did not want to do a film with a rape Everything was done in a subtle way.”

70 |DALLAS | OCTOBER 2018 | VOL 157 www.thebmagazine.com