“It is rare for both Ajay and me to like something!” - Kajol
The magnum opus period-action film, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is not just megastar Ajay Devgn’s 100th film, but the all-time hit pair of Kajol and Ajay will be screen after 11 long years.
Kajol is appearing in the immortal role of Savitribai Malusule, the wife of Tanhaji is her husband Ajay Devgn’s home production, while Ajay will be seen playing the title role. As the film hits the theatres today, the leading lady of the film Kajol spoke to Apeksha News Network about the film and they kept their fans waiting for 11 long years to see them together on screen. Check out the excerpts of the conversation.
How did you bag this very important role in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior?
Ajay was very delighted after hearing the script of Tanhaji and he asked me to hear it. If I agree to do the role, he will further develop it, he said. There was nothing much mentioned in the history text books about Savitribai. Hence, director Om Raut and his team had made a complete research on the character of Savitribai and they made an imaginary account of Savitribai, which I liked immensely. I immediately agreed to do the role of Savitribai Malusule.
What attracted you the most as Savitribai?
We all know very well that the Indian woman look very stunning in sarees. And Savitribai had to wear the Nauwari saree (Nine Yards). I had last worn Nauwari saree during my wedding and it was a very delightful experience for me to wear it after 20 years for the film. I remembered my grand-mother Shobana Samarth, who was also a very popular actress, wearing the Nauwari saree. I will give full credit to our director Om Raut, who along with his team, had done a detailed research on the character of Savitribai Malusule. For the first time on the big screen, I will be appearing in the Nauwari saree. Being a Marathi mulgi myself, I was overwhelmed when I first dressed up in this stunning costume. I had called the drapist and it took me two and a half hours to get ready for the character with the saree, then the ethnic jewellery, the bindi, the bangles, etc. I have seen many Marathi serials and films wherein the heroines and the female characters have worn the Nauwari saree but never ever dreamt that one day I would be wearing it myself. I also thought that this is Ajay’s 100th film, it could be the memorable gift I can give him. He was stunned when he first looked at me on my first day of the shoot. He told me, “I again had to come to my own house.” He felt as if he was at his own house while shooting with me for the film. I have already worked with Ajay in ten films earlier. So, I was in complete comfort zone while working for Tanhaji.
What were the comments of Ajay Devgn after you gave your takes for the film Tanhaji?
Ajay was behaving like 50% director and 50% actor with me. He would comment on my expressions which was a real help. We have been now married for 20 years so there is complete understanding between me and him.
What changes have you noticed in the audiences with regards to the taste for cinema?
I have seen a totally new audience coming to the cinema halls now-a-days. As we all know that cinema is now global. You can watch any film of any country on the mobiles also. People want to see the best of Cinema now. So, Ajay and Om Raut would discuss a lot to get the best from all the actors and the result is amazing. Each and every visual of the film is a treat for the eyes as the film is also in 3 D. Very few filmmakers opt for the 3D technique as it is very a time-consuming job. But Ajay and Om Raut have opted for the 3D. As soon as the audience wears the 3D glasses, they will be suddenly transformed to the pages of Indian history while watching this film.
Tanhaji is the latest example of the highest tradition and standards of an Indian historical film. Those who have watched the trailer have told me that they were transformed to a different world altogether. This is the magic of a 3D film. The action scenes and the dramatic scenes are the biggest highlights of this film.
It is said that your mother was the happiest lady when she saw you in the Nauwari saree.
My mom was stunned when she saw me in the Nine Yards saree get up. She said, “You see your ancestors in the Nauwari saree and judge for yourself. You will feel the connection with your ancestors.”
Thinking about me parents and ancestors, I have always felt that we as children should take care about our parents. We cannot match their contribution towards us, no matter what we do for them. My mother has sacrificed a lot for me and my sister. I still remember when I was a child, my grandmother Shobana jee would come to pick me up and take me to her Lonavala residence for the weekends whenever my mother was shooting outdoors as she was a very busy heroine during the seventies and eighties. Hence, in a way even my grandmother has taken great care of me. Mom would always teach me something new every day. My father was always an amazing person. I felt very proud when my Mom told me that I looked like Shobana Samarth after I wore the Nauwari saree for Tanhaji. So, I thank my husband Ajay for giving me this role as it brought back all the nostalgic memories of the past seventy years, which will be cherished forever by my mother and myself.
What is stardom for you?
Stardom is a responsibility. Stardom is very overrated by the current era of the media. Most of the actors who have attained stardom have a different image altogether. Actors make sure that they are more connected to their audience, which goes beyond box-office. How you are perceived by the audiences, makes you a star.
Did you meet Ajay’s father Veeru Devgan on the sets before your marriage?
Oh yes! While shooting for Karan Arjun, I had met him. He used to tell me lot of stories about Ajay about how Ajay when was 10 years old, would edit his action scenes. He would always praise Ajay and then would always be very enthusiastic about his explanation to the actors regarding his action shots. He was always full of joy and the unit members would be in a cheerful mood. After few days when I started going out with Ajay, he was very happy and then would call me loudly and ask about my well-being with a smile. Whatever Ajay has learnt from the film industry is the training he has received from Veeruji.
Do you consider playing the role of Tanhaji’s wife as an achievement?
Oh yes! I have learnt about all the great sacrifices, which the women in the past have done. All the wives of the great warriors have sent their husbands to the battlefield despite knowing that the husbands may never return. Yet they put the Tilak on the forehead hoping their husbands would return victorious. Also, the mothers would be thinking the same. This feeling itself shows how much patriotism was practised since the olden days in India. Women were very strong. Indian history is a perfect example of women empowerment. We haven’t read about the brave women of history in textbooks and have read mostly men, the Kings, the emperors, etc. But now, I can feel the great sacrifices of the mothers, the sisters, the wives, the daughters of all the warriors who have fought battles after battles.
My grandfather was the first person in Maharashtra to start a bank and it was named as Shilotri Bank. This bank also looked after the accounts of freedom fighters. So, in a way, my family has contributed a lot towards the freedom movement of our country.
The Ajay Devgn-Kajol pair will be seen after a long time. What are the reasons that you and Ajay did not come together for so long?
It has taken us 11 years to reunite again in Tanhaji and I know, our fans will be very thrilled to see us again on the big screen and that too in the 3D format. Ajay and I have a completely different point of view about our life and career. It is very rare for both of us to like something. We can’t do a regular love story where our characters are dancing round the trees or having coffee in a hotel. Also, it will look very odd if a film will show both of us meeting together for the first time on the screen. The audiences would never be able to relate to it. Both Ajay and I have explored everything on the screen, maybe a marriage scene, a dancing number, a confrontation, etc.; we have done it in all our previous ten films. But when Tanhaji came to us, we knew that we both had something new that was also spectacular for the big screen. Hence, I would like all of you to rush to the cinema halls to watch both of us, and enjoy this rare spectacle wearing the 3D glasses!
