Kajol on the importance of sanitation and hygiene

Actor Kajol, who has be an active supporter of eradicating preventable deaths from hygiene-related issues, says the current government is giving the cause of hygiene and sanitation the spotlight it deserves. “I think hygiene and sanitation are issues in every country. It’s not only in our country. The fact that it has become a focus in our country is really important... No other government has spotlighted it in such a big way,” Kajol says.

At the same time, she believes the public needs to do its bit to make a greater difference. “In the world we are living and the kind of levels pollution has reached, I think it’s important to understand that we need to do our part... We have to take that personal responsibility,” adds the actor, who participated in the United Nations General Assembly to spread the message of hygiene through washing hands.

Asserting that it’s a cause very close to her heart, she says, “I am a mom. I think it’s really important. So when we talk about the statistics of our country, it is very high as far as child mortality is concerned. As much as 30 per cent of child mortality comes from India.”

Kajol, who is married to actor Ajay Devgn, has two children — daughter Nysa and son Yug. As a mother, she describes herself as strict. “I am fun, but definitely strict. There are no two ways about it. I hope my children like me. I believe they do. I like them more... Most importantly, they are good kids and they are great fun,” she says, and adds that Ajay, too, is a “strict, but a wonderful parent”.

In the world we are living and the kind of levels pollution has reached, I think it’s important to understand that we need to do our part KAJOL, ACTOR