For Kajol, acting is learning on the go

FROM UNDERSTANDING THE craft of acting to the importance of body language and on-screen chemistry, Kajol learnt the basics of her profession one film at a time over her two decade-long career.

In an interview, ahead of her upcoming film Helicopter Eela, Kajol, one of the most spontaneous actors in the industry, talks learning the ropes of acting on set. The actor lists down three films — her 1992 debut Bekhudi, Udhar Ki Zindagi (1994) and Dushman (1998) as her favourites.

Talking about Udhar Ki Zindagi, Kajol says the film was so intense that she suffered from a burnout in “a weird way”.

“... I remember having a conversation during Baazigar with Shah Rukh Khan and he told me, ‘I should learn how to act’ and I was like, ‘I am doing so fabulously well’. He told me I need to burn out as an actor, I felt, he talks nonsense sometimes.

“But when I was shooting for Udhar Ki Zindagi, I was like, ‘I can’t do films that are so heavy, it sucks so much out of you’. I did not want to do that anymore.”

Kajol remembers discussing with Tanuja that she wanted to do lighter films and not be part of emotionally draining movies. “... I (told her) that I want to do films with three songs, three scenes, etc. So I signed up films like Hulchul and Gundaraj, among others.”

But after taking up a series of light-hearted films, Kajol changed her mind and featured in a hard-hitting film like Dushman. The actor says she had initially rejected the project.

“I had said ‘no’ to it because I did not want to do a film with a rape scene in it. I didn’t want to enact that. I felt it would be difficult for me. I am not comfortable with somebody doing that to me on-screen, even for a shot or whatever,” Kajol adds.

But director Tanuja Chandra and producer Pooja Bhatt assured her that they will shoot the scene aesthetically and use a body double.

“They told me they just need one close-up shot and that they will manage it. They lived up to their promise. When you watch the film, you can’t make out. They handled it so well. I am glad I did the film.”

The 1998 psychological thriller was the seventh highest grossing Hindi film of that year.