Bollywood veteran actress Kajol is one of the leading actresses in Bollywood right now. She has enjoyed a successful career that has spanned over two decades and has successfully marked her achievements with outstanding acting performances in various roles.
The My Name Is Khan actress has recently marked her debut in one of the biggest OTT streaming platform Netflix with her latest released film Tribhanga.
There has been a time in Bollywood where, after certain age, it was believed that female lead actresses have no work or no good roles in the films as compared to their male co-stars but the 46-years-old Kajol thinks differently on this notion.
In conversation with Hindustan Times, the Fanaa actress who has been a part of the Indian film industry for 29 years, said there is no such thing as ageism, while she also believed that the part of it is true, there are also instances which prove that female actors are not discriminated against.
“The reality is that we had Sharmila Tagore, Sadhna, Nargis Dutt, who were working way after the time they were married and were like in their 40s. Yes, I agree today the time is such that everybody has a binocular view on it. Today we are suddenly looking at things which we never noticed before. But this was all happening earlier as well. Even my mother (Tanuja) never stopped working,” she said.
She pointed out that, “I am here and I am working. I am very proud of it. I don’t see an ageist issue in Bollywood. I never did. I think it is in your head. It is the question of ‘Do you believe that you are too old for this? Or do you believe that you cannot carry it off? Why can Aamir Khan at the age of 40 do a 3 Idiots and play a college student, why can’t I? He believed he could and of course with the help of special effects.”
“It is more about people have convinced you about what you can you do and what you can’t do. I have honestly never believed in anyone else opinion besides myself, so that is good,” she added.
The 90s iconic star has received good response to her recent release, Tribhanga in which, she played an actor and also talked about how she did add her own experiences into the character of Anu.
“Also, Renuka is an actor herself, and understands the pressures of being an actor and in the limelight. So we both kind of shared in that bit and that aspect of it. But Anu’s character is very much more, being a star is just a part of who is she is. The film is about relationship and mothers and daughters and how everybody is screwed up. There is no supposed parenting in this world and no supposed perfect family in this world,” shares the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai star.
Talking about the various aspects of the film which are important life lessons Kajol concluded saying, “You think you are the only person going through something in the world and then when you open up, you happen to have an honest conversation with somebody and you realize that that person is also in the same boat as you, you are not the only one. You feel that sense of loneliness and wonder why is this happening to me. That is what the film highlighted.”
