Kajal Aggarwal is busy with interviews and promotions for her new Telugu movie. SatyabhamaFor the past few weeks. In an apartment near Hyderabad’s Hitech City that also serves as her workplace, the actress who has just finished a photoshoot, takes off her thick earrings and sits comfortably on the sofa with her legs up as we start talking.
SatyabhamaDirected by Suman Chikkala, with screenplay by writer-director Sashi Kiran Tikka Goodachari Fame), Kajal’s 60th film, is slated to release on June 7. Since she is headlining the film, the promotions have been working around #Kajal60 and she is being called the ‘Janata ki Rani’. “The tag came from my fans and the makers incorporated it; it wasn’t like my team made a sales pitch for such a tag. I am grateful and feel fortunate for the loyalty, support and encouragement I have received for 17 years,” Kajal said. Satyabhama It is a ‘mass’ film. “My character – ACP Sathyabhama – is in a commercial space, yet it is different from the norm.”
Emotional connection
Kajal Aggarwal in ‘Satyabhama’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Playing a police officer in an action drama has been on her wish list but Kajal says Satyabhama It’s not like the female version Singham. She is seen fully in action sequences, but she says the story shows the emotional vulnerability of a female police officer. “Satyabhama is courageous and can use law and order to help the oppressed, but we also see how she is affected by everything that happens around her. It was a tough film, emotionally and physically.”
The task has become even more difficult since Kajal is back in action mode after her maternity leave; she is juggling between being a new mother and fulfilling her work commitments, including director Shankar’s Hum Saath Hain. indian 2 Headlined by Kamal Haasan.
Before discussing the action sequences, Kajal revealed that she was emotionally immersed when she heard the story of the cop drama. SatyabhamaShe discussed her character’s backstory with the writers (Suman Chikkala, Sashi Kiran Tikka and Prashanth Reddy). “The makers had several hypothetical situations, which helped me understand how my character would behave in different situations. The script doesn’t reveal much and relies on the audience’s intelligence. We did workshops and I made notes on my copy of the script.”
Kajal says one of the toughest scenes was the climax for which the team rehearsed for 10 days. “When Satyabhama comes face to face with her enemy, she has a choice – either defeat him or leave him to realise and reform so that she can do justice. What she does at that moment reveals who she is.”
When Kajal faces the camera after such elaborate preparations, does she perform as per the rehearsals or does she let spontaneity take over? “There are times when all the rehearsals come in handy; there are times when I go blank and decide to work spontaneously because I have understood the story and the situation. Sometimes spontaneous shots are better than rehearsals.”
Action Mode
Kajal Aggarwal in ‘Satyabhama’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The action scenes required Kajal to deliver some powerful punches. Like most actors, she has been focusing on fitness over the years. In 2018, she started learning Kalaripayattu indian 2Krav Maga for a Telugu film which she left after pregnancy, and mixed martial arts.
Getting back to her fitness routine after delivery was not easy, she says, “I started doing yoga two weeks after my son was born. Earlier I would easily do 108 Surya Namaskars and here I was struggling to do even five. Earlier I could do squats even while carrying several kilos of weight and after delivery it became difficult to do squats with just my body weight. I spent the first few weeks at my mother’s house; my mother thought I had lost my mind for starting exercise so early. I wanted to work out for the dopamine effect. At that time, it was not about any film. My husband, my trainer and friends told me to do it slowly. I learnt not to expect immediate results and take it one day at a time. My muscle memory worked and I slowly regained my stamina indian 2,
Three important lessons
Kajal debuted as a lead actress in the 2007 Telugu film Lakshmi Kalyanam. Reflecting on her 17-year career, Kajal says she has learnt many lessons from experience and observation. She picked three lessons from these:
Worry: “Sometimes, it’s okay to be anxious. There were moments when I asked myself if I would ever be able to get back to facing the camera. I wasn’t sure how I would be able to function as a new mother. There was no external pressure; my family has always been supportive. I learnt to be patient, let go of myself easily, and love myself.”
Success and Failure: “I have learnt that the fate of a film doesn’t affect your career in the long run. So I don’t get too attached to the results.”
On merit: “What I have learnt from my observation is that the offers one gets are based on one’s talent and not on who you hang out with.”
When Kajal appeared in front of the camera after maternity leave, she struggled with the guilt of being a new mother and said she was spending time away from her son, but she also admitted she missed being an actress. Due to the lack of time, she said she began to weigh her options more carefully.
Before we wrap up, I ask Kajal if she feels the pressure of achieving box office success, especially after the pandemic when Telugu cinema has been hesitant to release female-led stories in theatres. “I would like to say that I don’t feel the pressure, but the truth is that I do. I have butterflies in my stomach. I am both excited and nervous about the days ahead. The entire team has worked really hard and success means a lot to everyone.”
The next one is indian 2 And she also has new films lined up, which are yet to be announced. After fulfilling her wish to do an action film, Kajal hopes to get a chance to work in a mythological drama. “In one of my new films, I will be seen doing something in a small role, but I would absolutely love to be part of a full-fledged mythological. I am a greedy actor.”
