It’s been 25 long years of Kajol in Bollywood. Wow, how quickly does time go by? I’ve grown up watching all her movies and she is till date, one of my most favourite actresses. She’s been around for so long and has seen the industry change with each passing year. Back then, there were tons of multi-starrers, people were friends… but today, there has been a shift in mindsets. Kajol spoke with DNA about this new Bollywood.
On them doing ten films at a time back in the day and on actors being choosy today…
That’s not because we had a personal equation with the filmmaker or better understanding at the time. That is because people have realised now that you can’t do everything. At that point of time, every film did well. I don’t think there was anything that you could have called a very big flop. It was a different time and space altogether and everyone watched everything because there was no other form of entertainment back then. Now, people are more conscious about what they are doing, what they are saying on and off screen. That also contributed a lot to it. Again, for the better and because it’s a different world today than what it was then.
When asked about multi-starrers, she added,
That’s the whole point. Nobody is that confident about the other person anymore, to do a multi-starrer. That is why I am saying that there definitely are some good changes, but there are also changes that are not-so-great. Back then, everyone was friends, everyone knew each other. We were all drinking buddies. We knew each others’ families, wives, and children. Now, it’s suddenly all about I, me, and myself… more about ‘me’ as a brand. Will I work with another person? Will that affect my brand equity? Will the other person overshadow me? So, yes, there are a lot of insecurities and considerations to take into account now.
Hmm… she makes a lot of sense, no?