'I Never Really Went Anywhere'

'There are days when I hardly get to see my child.'
'But there are days when I do absolutely nothing and only spend time with him.'

Pretty Kajal Aggarwal, who tied the knot with Gautam Kitchlu in 2020, is back on screen with Satyabhama.

Kajal doesn't see this as her comeback.

"I never really went anywhere. I've had movies all through in the past two years as well. I don't think it was difficult for me to get back into the professional groove," says Kajal.

"I did work all through my pregnancy and in fact, on the fourth day after my child was born, I shot literally at home. So I never really took a maternity break as such," she adds.

"I jumped back into the movies three months postpartum. So no, I did not find it difficult.

"Balancing a newborn along with work was challenging.

"But professionally, I did not find much of a difference because I never really took a break.

"Of course, it's extremely challenging to balance my job as well as my domestic responsibilities. But then I love challenges."

Kajal sees Satyabhama as a very impactful film.

"I've been waiting and wanting to do movies like that which genuinely strike a chord with the audience.

"And. of course, where I can create an impact and I can create the right kind of influence in whatever capacity that I possibly can.

"And I'm happy that Satyabhama gave me the opportunity to do just that.

"I'm glad I did with Satyabhama where the team is strong enough to portray a genre like this which is an action thriller as well as the script is very strong."

Kajal enjoys working in all three languages -- Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

She notices several changes in Indian cinema.

"I've done maximum number of films in Telugu. So that feels like home to me.

"I feel Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films are genuinely changing and yes, there are quite a few challenging roles that are being written.

"I have been offered movies like this before but I've always believed that you need a team to actually deliver the kind of script that you choose.

"In the past, I haven't really found the correct combination."

"Yes, my husband has watched quite a few of my movies.

"He loves Satyabhama. He has seen it.

"And he likes movies where I portray a different side or a different character or challenging characters that I have portrayed.

"He enjoys those kind of movies and he enjoys seeing me in those kind of movies."

Kajal spoke about balancing a career with the upbringing of her son.

"There are days when I hardly get to see my child. But then there are days when I do absolutely nothing and only spend time with him.

"So I guess it's all about having that attitude to balance things out and making things work for you.

"It does get difficult in terms of zero time for myself. But I'm okay with that because I literally prioritise my family, number one, and my work, number two."

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com