I am not disowning the South actor tag: Kajal

Debuting alongside Ajay Devgn in Rohit Shetty’s Singham, Kajal Aggarwal says she won’t abandon her south roots even while working in Hindi films.

Kajal Aggarwal is not interested in giving up her southern actor tag. Debuting alongside Ajay Devgn in Rohit Shetty’s Singham, the actor says, “I will never be disrespectful to the Telugu and Tamil film industry. I have been brought up to respect my roots. I owe my acting career to them.”

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The Mumbai-based actor reportedly stirred up a controversy down south when she said she doesn’t consider herself to be a south Indian actress, as she is Punjabi by birth. Following these reports, angered Tamil and Telugu producers issued statements saying they will ban the actor from working in south Indian films.

Reacting to the alleged ban, the actor says, “I'm really hurt and angry that someone has started this whole 'ban' issue without bothering to speak to me.” Undeterred by the producers’ strong reactions, the actor says, “I was shooting for a Telugu film Dhada with Nagarjuna’s son Chaitanya in Germany when these rumours started. I have not heard from any association wanting to ban me because I guess everyone in a position of power knows the truth.”

The actor reveals Telugu film Magadheera (2009) caught Rohit’s attention and helped her bag Singham. She says, “Language wasn’t a problem. But I was reserved in the initial days. Rohit and Ajay’s pranks made me loosen up.”