While Kajol has always proven to be a lucky charm for Karan Johar, his films are known to have been incomplete without her. And now that the filmmaker’s next film called Student Of The Year is underway, it seems only natural to expect a cameo from her.
Calling her previous such ‘acts’ in K Jo’s films only “30-second appearances” she says, “You can’t really call that a role. But let’s see what Karan has in mind. Besides, I don’t think I can do more than that. I have a small baby to take care of.”
Not just that, the remaining third of the trio, Shah Rukh Khan, is not only co-producing the film, but is also acting in it. The film marks the debut of David Dhawan’s son Varun and Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter Alia.
Meanwhile, the reasons for Kajol to celebrate just continue to add up. After becoming a mother for a second time, she now is ecstatic about being presented the Padma Shri, apart from winning the Best Actress Award for her performance in My Name Is Khan.
“I had not at all anticipated this. I’m told I’m the second youngest person to be awarded the Padma Shri. I think I expected to get it when I was a little older,” confesses Kajol when asked about making it to the list of Padma awardees this year.
But one look at the 29 films she acted in, in her career spanning 19 years since Rahul Rawail’s Bekhudi, and it all makes sense. “Really?” she wonders in surprise, conceding that she doesn’t know the exact criteria, “If I’m not mistaken, it’s got to do with the entire body of work. I think they thought I was worthy of it.”
The actor recalls attending to her baby, Yug, when actor-filmmaker husband, Ajay Devgn, broke the news to her. “I was a little irritated because I was tending to my baby and said I had to get back to Yug. But yes, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the news,” she smiles.
The first person she called to give the great news to was naturally her mother and veteran actor, Tanuja, followed by sister Tanissha. “They were all very happy that I was happy,” she says. But she hasn’t planned to celebrate the news as yet. “I think I’ll wait for the award to actually come into my hands for that.”
Though she has featured in all of Karan’s films and has also made appearances on the previous two seasons of his TV show, Koffee With Karan, she let Ajay make a solo trip this time.
“I just want to spend time with my baby. I didn’t want to take time out for any show,” she says, matter-of-factly, adding that her husband went as her representative. Dismissing any notions that he needed some preparation to go solo, she asserts, “He can take on anyone with one hand tied behind his back.”
Ajay too made headlines for his witty responses on Karan’s couch. For someone who’s known to be reserved, he spoke rather candidly on the show. In response to one of Johar’s rapid fire round queries for advice to Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, he is believed to have said that they shouldn’t get married. If that’s not enough, Ajay also revealed how Kajol wasn’t interested in him when they first met and how she has come a long way from the girl who couldn’t care less, to a jealous wife.
“I must watch the show first before I can comment on that. All he said after returning from the shoot was that he had a good time and that I must wait till I watch it to know more,” she says.
