Kajol: Today, men make an effort to ensure women are comfortable on set

Kajol is enjoying her new chapter in the digital medium, finding the changing script of women portrayal on screen fascinating. She is focused on the web medium rather than big screen outings. She has broken norms and tried diverse characters because of the support she received from people around her. Kajol is happy to see more women on sets and believes the film industry is a wonderful place that allows for evolution and integration of societal changes.

Kajol is exploring a new chapter of her career with a special focus on the digital medium, and her back-to-back outings through web anthology Lust Stories 2 and web series The Trail have fetched her good response. Admitting that she’s enjoying and making the most of this phase, the actor asserts it’s the changing script of women portrayal on screen that fascinates her the most.

Kajol was last seen in web series, The Trial

“I’m happy with the work that I am getting to do in the OTT space and the fact that both my latest projects did well validates it. But, saying that it has in some way liberated me as an artist would be a bit too much. I’ve been doing good work even otherwise. It feels nice when we have the chance to go out there and do other things as well, and not just 3-hour long feature films,” says the actor, who made her OTT debut with web film Tribhanga (2021).

Perhaps, that’s the reason, more than big screen outings, Kajol is focused more on the web medium. Her last theatrical releases including Tanhaji (2020) and Salmaan Venky (2022). Asked if this switch if intentional and the 49-year-old mentions, “No, it just kind of happened and they released like that. I have definitely not planned it anyway.”

And what about the tag of ‘trendsetter’ that people often associate with her for trying diverse characters? “I have broken these norms because I’ve always had people around me who have told me that, ‘It’s okay, and go ahead and do what you want and be what you want’. So, that gave me a push to try new things and challenge myself,” she tells us.

Having made her acting debut with Rahul Rawail’s Bekhudi in 1992, Kajol went on to be a part of numerous commercial potboilers such as Karan Arjun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Gupt: The Hidden Truth, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. And through the years, she has seen female actors get better roles in addition to women, in general, contributing more the filmmaking process.

“I love the fact that there are so many more women on set today than what it used to be 25-30 years ago. I’m so happy to see that there is a place for them, and men, in particular, make an effort to ensure that women are comfortable on set. And they do it just like that without any having to push them over. It is a huge step forward. We are in a much better place,” says Kajol, adding that there is nothing she would want to change in the way the film industry functions.

“Film industry is a wonderful place. One of the great things about it is that we are able to evolve and integrate all kinds of things going on in our society. So, for me, it’s a really cool place,” she ends.