Rogue
07-21-2004, 02:09 PM
Hi Guys,
As promised on the "Kajol Admirers" topic, here is that article/interview about Kajol as told to Roshmila Bhattacharya by ace photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha... I don't know if you've read it (it was available online for a while, but I can't find it now) because Zee Premiere is now out of business (legal and worker issues)... Anyways, enjoy!
See ya,
Aliya
SPITFIRE
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Gautam Rajadhyksha, one of India's best known photographers, takes a look at the actress he calls a "Spitfire". Delving into past incidents and his close friendship with Kajol and her family, he relates the image of a very human actress.
"May 1, 1991. That was the day I met Kajol for the first time, after a five-month wait. Earlier, Tanuja had called me in December, 1990. Her daughter had been toying with the idea of getting into films. She was still in school. And Tanu admitted that she was little plump. Not too much, but a little. Why not we wait for another six months, I suggested. She would finish school by April. And hopefully, by then, she would also have shed some of the puppy fat. And so it was. Kajol finally bounded into my studio with her uncle, Jaideep Samarth in May.
I was writing the script for Bekhudi at the time. Rahul Rawail, the director, was scouting for a new face. Did he want to take a look at this girl, I wondered, "Tanu's daughter, but of course," Rahul agreed immediately. He was there for the shoot too. I was too busy concentrating on camera angles and costume changes to worry about whether Kajol was heroine material. But Rahul was giving her a good hard look. And what he saw must have impressed him because in five minutes he'd decided that Kajol would be the heroine of his film. Bekhudi was launched on August 24, 1991. It was released on July 30, 1992. The film wasn't a hit. But Kajol was a star. Fresh, spontaneous, talented… there was no stopping her.
However, Mickey (Contractor) and I have never treated Kajol as a star. Or even a star protégé. She's always been family. Mickey and I are like her surrogate parents. And she's like the daughter I'm not likely to have. I feel for her like I would for my own child. Perhaps that's why today instead of trying to turn her into someone she doesn't want to be, we love her the way she is. If she doesn't want to do a photo session or an interview for a magazine, I no longer coax, cajole or chide her. I know she's far too obedient and respectful a child to argue with Mickey and me.
But I've realized that this impulsive, honest, bundle of fun is not guided by any goals. Any compulsions. She's like Shakespeare's Ariel, a free spirit. She lives for the moment, not for money. And I've understood that nine years of fame and fortune are not more important to us than the special relationship we share. If tomorrow she wants to walk out of the industry and open a bookshop which is her dream, I've told her I won't try to stop her. Instead, I'll drop in to browse at her shop and take her off for long lunches.
I haven't done a proper photo session with Kajol recently. I have only shot with her in connection with the publicity of her films. I've done the stills for Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Ishq, Pyar To Hona Hi Tha and more recently, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Kajol is a different person during these sessions, a true pro. She remembers every costume change, all the important lines.
Even little details like where she entered the frame from the right so now she can't do it from the left. If it's a photo shoot for a magazine she's trouble, and so often in the past, Mickey and I have had to bribe her with bars of Toblorone or with promises that we'll be very quick. But if it's publicity stills, Kajol is tireless. We were in Mauritius recently for Karan Johar's film and we shot for about 22 and a half hours over a period of 60 hours. And Kajol worked non-stop without a murmur of protest, with as much serious involvement as Shah Rukh. These two youngsters really warmed my heart. It was obvious that what Kajol and Shah Rukh shared was very genuine platonic caring. I know they're just very good friends who are bonded by a passion for their work. Of course, Kajol being Kajol, couldn't be good all the time. The first day she was just so exited to see Mickey and me that she played the fool all day, but she sobered down by the second day and at the end of two-and-a-half grueling days, I had reason to be proud of my lil' spitfire. Even the first day's efforts, which I'd thought were a complete fiasco, I was told by Karan, had turned out pretty well. I guess, that's Kajol. When it comes to the crunch she delivers.
Working on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai also gave me the chance to observe the two cousins, Kajol and Rani. It was lovely to see two cousins, two girls from the same family and profession sharing such warm vibes. There was not even a hint of professional envy or competitiveness between the two. When Rani was leaving there were enough hugs, kisses and cousinly chatter to warm up the chilly nights. Kajol is genuinely pleased for Sharbani and Rani. "It makes me so happy that we three Mukherji girls are doing so well, "she beams.
Tanu and Rani's mother, Krishna, were also there and I've often seen both sisters-in-law chatting away happily. At one time Tanu and a Krishna were the only two housewives who would be organizing outings and picnics for the Mukherji kids. Obviously, Kajol hasn't forgotten those happy days of her childhood because she is very close to Krishna. Her aunt is a very caring woman. Whenever Tanu wasn't around, Krishna would take it upon herself to see that not just her daughter but even her niece had eaten and was comfortable. Such little things give you such a warm feeling of being part of one big happy family. And I know that Kajol is the adhesive that binds all of us together. She may be a big star, an acknowledged performer, but success hasn't changed her… isolated her. She still wants her mother, her father, her grandmother, her aunt, her cousins, Mickey and me around her. We're obviously still more important to her than a one-way ticket to superstardom.
The Ishq shoot was another picnic because Kajol was with her buddies again. She and Juhi had become very good friends in Hyderabad. And with Ajay joining in the fun and games, she was having a ball trying out all the new clothes that had been made for them. She reminded me of Cinderella getting ready for the ball. That was one time I had so many different combinations to shoot and so many different combinations to shoot and so many changes, yet it was smooth sailing all the way. Kajol was still a scamp but she had grown-up since the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge days, thank God. During the earlier shoot I had had to chide her often to keep her in control.
Pyar To Hona Hi Tha was more rush rush. Kajol had flown down from Hyderabad for a day. There was not a moment to waste on playing truant. And I must say, Kajol surprised me again. This time she was very much the professional. She was ready with everything. We had wrapped up the shoot in less than 24 hours. Kajol has become a more disciplined and thinking actress today. But think she still feels like Alice in Wonderland. Her biggest problem, I'd say, is that she hasn't adjusted too well to this whole syndrome of fame and fortune. It still bugs her. Kajol honestly and truly believes that to change into the kind of person people expect her to be would be a psychological massacre. It would only create more confusion as she was already struggling to find an identity. Was this girl she had become the real her or the one she had left behind?
I've seen stars transformed by their one transitory moment in the limelight. I'd rather my child prepared herself for the shadows when she was still in the sun than become another Sunset Boulevard. Of course, in her quest to remain a face in the crowd she shuns the glamorous side of her profession completely. She would detest the little touching up that a Rekha or a Sridevi would go through before even a passing shot. But over the years, she's realized that make-up does make a difference and has learnt to tolerate a very light touching up. Now she can even do her own make-up though she would rather it was Mickey doing it for her. All that body fat has melted. Her face has become thinner, she's looking better.
With time Kajol has also become more conscious of her craft. She is a born actress. And because acting runs in her blood, she can afford to laugh and play the fool before a dramatic scene knowing she can shed tears on order. That hasn't changed but Kajol today has become more professional… quicker, more alert. She understands film technique better. She knows that if the cameraman is using zoom lens then she has to be more alert from waist upwards, and if it is a mid-shot she has to concentrate more on her surroundings. I guess, she has had to learn the technique for self-preservation. She confessed once that after Udhar Ki Zindagi she was all wrung out. She had to develop a technique that would help her to carry on. And I admire her for the way she has so cleverly fortified her spontaneity with technique. When Kajol's on the screen you don't think she's acting, just living out her life. And she's getting better with every film. I adored her in Sapnay. I saw bits of Dushman and I thought she was tremendous. Mickey's seen the rushes of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and he tells me she's brilliant. I'm so glad she hasn't lost that volatility, that spontaneity which she's inherited from her mother. There's a lot of Geeta Bali in her too. A touch of Nettu Singh. And bits of Nutan. The twitch of the lips, the way she cries is very like her Nutan Maushi. And when I pointed that out to her she admitted that she had noticed the resemblance too though she wouldn't dare to talk about it to anyone even from the family. Nutan was a legend and she's afraid that if people thought she was seeing comparisons between herself and her aunt already, they might think she was being presumptuous. But Kajol herself admitted to me that sometimes when she watches her maushi's films she stumbles across a scene which reminds her of one of the scenes from her films. "I'd done it exactly the same way or would have done it that way," she said wide-eyed. And you know the surprising thing is that Kajol's never consciously modelled herself on her aunt.
There's a lot of her granduncle, Kishore Kumar Ganguly, in her. The tomfoolery… the madness. One day, watching her go wild on the sets of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai I jokingly asked Rani, who was sitting beside me, "Does madness run in your family?" Rani I must say was a true trooper. She just smiled and maintained a tactful silence. Rani's a lady. While Kajol's anything but ladylike. Yet, both girls are so loveable.
Kajol may be a brat but success hasn't spoilt her. Fortune hasn't tainted her. I don't even think the child knows how much money she has in the bank. She still calls to ask Tanu if she can have a couple of hundred bucks for a dress she's seen on Fashion Street. And when her mother asks her if she should send her some more she'll retort, "What for?" My feelings for Kajol have changed though. Once I was a chiding elder. Now I'm a proud relative who can sit back and marvel at my child's growth. Today I don't have to keep an eye on her to see if she's gobbling any chocolates. Even if she does nibble one occasionally, I know she'll exercise off the extra calories or skip a meal. Now even Mickey is on her side. "Let her take a bite, Gautam," he'll coax me. "I've seen what she's had for breakfast and she hasn't had her lunch. The child has to eat something."
Kajol's grown into a fine actress. But I don't think it'll take her too long to outgrow the industry. Today it interests her, tomorrow she may walk out without a second thought like her mother. And get busy with something else. She knows there's a life for her away from films. And I know that once she leaves she won't come back. Kajol hates that all too familiar feeling of déjà vu..."</span>
As promised on the "Kajol Admirers" topic, here is that article/interview about Kajol as told to Roshmila Bhattacharya by ace photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha... I don't know if you've read it (it was available online for a while, but I can't find it now) because Zee Premiere is now out of business (legal and worker issues)... Anyways, enjoy!
See ya,
Aliya
SPITFIRE
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Gautam Rajadhyksha, one of India's best known photographers, takes a look at the actress he calls a "Spitfire". Delving into past incidents and his close friendship with Kajol and her family, he relates the image of a very human actress.
"May 1, 1991. That was the day I met Kajol for the first time, after a five-month wait. Earlier, Tanuja had called me in December, 1990. Her daughter had been toying with the idea of getting into films. She was still in school. And Tanu admitted that she was little plump. Not too much, but a little. Why not we wait for another six months, I suggested. She would finish school by April. And hopefully, by then, she would also have shed some of the puppy fat. And so it was. Kajol finally bounded into my studio with her uncle, Jaideep Samarth in May.
I was writing the script for Bekhudi at the time. Rahul Rawail, the director, was scouting for a new face. Did he want to take a look at this girl, I wondered, "Tanu's daughter, but of course," Rahul agreed immediately. He was there for the shoot too. I was too busy concentrating on camera angles and costume changes to worry about whether Kajol was heroine material. But Rahul was giving her a good hard look. And what he saw must have impressed him because in five minutes he'd decided that Kajol would be the heroine of his film. Bekhudi was launched on August 24, 1991. It was released on July 30, 1992. The film wasn't a hit. But Kajol was a star. Fresh, spontaneous, talented… there was no stopping her.
However, Mickey (Contractor) and I have never treated Kajol as a star. Or even a star protégé. She's always been family. Mickey and I are like her surrogate parents. And she's like the daughter I'm not likely to have. I feel for her like I would for my own child. Perhaps that's why today instead of trying to turn her into someone she doesn't want to be, we love her the way she is. If she doesn't want to do a photo session or an interview for a magazine, I no longer coax, cajole or chide her. I know she's far too obedient and respectful a child to argue with Mickey and me.
But I've realized that this impulsive, honest, bundle of fun is not guided by any goals. Any compulsions. She's like Shakespeare's Ariel, a free spirit. She lives for the moment, not for money. And I've understood that nine years of fame and fortune are not more important to us than the special relationship we share. If tomorrow she wants to walk out of the industry and open a bookshop which is her dream, I've told her I won't try to stop her. Instead, I'll drop in to browse at her shop and take her off for long lunches.
I haven't done a proper photo session with Kajol recently. I have only shot with her in connection with the publicity of her films. I've done the stills for Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Ishq, Pyar To Hona Hi Tha and more recently, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Kajol is a different person during these sessions, a true pro. She remembers every costume change, all the important lines.
Even little details like where she entered the frame from the right so now she can't do it from the left. If it's a photo shoot for a magazine she's trouble, and so often in the past, Mickey and I have had to bribe her with bars of Toblorone or with promises that we'll be very quick. But if it's publicity stills, Kajol is tireless. We were in Mauritius recently for Karan Johar's film and we shot for about 22 and a half hours over a period of 60 hours. And Kajol worked non-stop without a murmur of protest, with as much serious involvement as Shah Rukh. These two youngsters really warmed my heart. It was obvious that what Kajol and Shah Rukh shared was very genuine platonic caring. I know they're just very good friends who are bonded by a passion for their work. Of course, Kajol being Kajol, couldn't be good all the time. The first day she was just so exited to see Mickey and me that she played the fool all day, but she sobered down by the second day and at the end of two-and-a-half grueling days, I had reason to be proud of my lil' spitfire. Even the first day's efforts, which I'd thought were a complete fiasco, I was told by Karan, had turned out pretty well. I guess, that's Kajol. When it comes to the crunch she delivers.
Working on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai also gave me the chance to observe the two cousins, Kajol and Rani. It was lovely to see two cousins, two girls from the same family and profession sharing such warm vibes. There was not even a hint of professional envy or competitiveness between the two. When Rani was leaving there were enough hugs, kisses and cousinly chatter to warm up the chilly nights. Kajol is genuinely pleased for Sharbani and Rani. "It makes me so happy that we three Mukherji girls are doing so well, "she beams.
Tanu and Rani's mother, Krishna, were also there and I've often seen both sisters-in-law chatting away happily. At one time Tanu and a Krishna were the only two housewives who would be organizing outings and picnics for the Mukherji kids. Obviously, Kajol hasn't forgotten those happy days of her childhood because she is very close to Krishna. Her aunt is a very caring woman. Whenever Tanu wasn't around, Krishna would take it upon herself to see that not just her daughter but even her niece had eaten and was comfortable. Such little things give you such a warm feeling of being part of one big happy family. And I know that Kajol is the adhesive that binds all of us together. She may be a big star, an acknowledged performer, but success hasn't changed her… isolated her. She still wants her mother, her father, her grandmother, her aunt, her cousins, Mickey and me around her. We're obviously still more important to her than a one-way ticket to superstardom.
The Ishq shoot was another picnic because Kajol was with her buddies again. She and Juhi had become very good friends in Hyderabad. And with Ajay joining in the fun and games, she was having a ball trying out all the new clothes that had been made for them. She reminded me of Cinderella getting ready for the ball. That was one time I had so many different combinations to shoot and so many different combinations to shoot and so many changes, yet it was smooth sailing all the way. Kajol was still a scamp but she had grown-up since the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge days, thank God. During the earlier shoot I had had to chide her often to keep her in control.
Pyar To Hona Hi Tha was more rush rush. Kajol had flown down from Hyderabad for a day. There was not a moment to waste on playing truant. And I must say, Kajol surprised me again. This time she was very much the professional. She was ready with everything. We had wrapped up the shoot in less than 24 hours. Kajol has become a more disciplined and thinking actress today. But think she still feels like Alice in Wonderland. Her biggest problem, I'd say, is that she hasn't adjusted too well to this whole syndrome of fame and fortune. It still bugs her. Kajol honestly and truly believes that to change into the kind of person people expect her to be would be a psychological massacre. It would only create more confusion as she was already struggling to find an identity. Was this girl she had become the real her or the one she had left behind?
I've seen stars transformed by their one transitory moment in the limelight. I'd rather my child prepared herself for the shadows when she was still in the sun than become another Sunset Boulevard. Of course, in her quest to remain a face in the crowd she shuns the glamorous side of her profession completely. She would detest the little touching up that a Rekha or a Sridevi would go through before even a passing shot. But over the years, she's realized that make-up does make a difference and has learnt to tolerate a very light touching up. Now she can even do her own make-up though she would rather it was Mickey doing it for her. All that body fat has melted. Her face has become thinner, she's looking better.
With time Kajol has also become more conscious of her craft. She is a born actress. And because acting runs in her blood, she can afford to laugh and play the fool before a dramatic scene knowing she can shed tears on order. That hasn't changed but Kajol today has become more professional… quicker, more alert. She understands film technique better. She knows that if the cameraman is using zoom lens then she has to be more alert from waist upwards, and if it is a mid-shot she has to concentrate more on her surroundings. I guess, she has had to learn the technique for self-preservation. She confessed once that after Udhar Ki Zindagi she was all wrung out. She had to develop a technique that would help her to carry on. And I admire her for the way she has so cleverly fortified her spontaneity with technique. When Kajol's on the screen you don't think she's acting, just living out her life. And she's getting better with every film. I adored her in Sapnay. I saw bits of Dushman and I thought she was tremendous. Mickey's seen the rushes of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and he tells me she's brilliant. I'm so glad she hasn't lost that volatility, that spontaneity which she's inherited from her mother. There's a lot of Geeta Bali in her too. A touch of Nettu Singh. And bits of Nutan. The twitch of the lips, the way she cries is very like her Nutan Maushi. And when I pointed that out to her she admitted that she had noticed the resemblance too though she wouldn't dare to talk about it to anyone even from the family. Nutan was a legend and she's afraid that if people thought she was seeing comparisons between herself and her aunt already, they might think she was being presumptuous. But Kajol herself admitted to me that sometimes when she watches her maushi's films she stumbles across a scene which reminds her of one of the scenes from her films. "I'd done it exactly the same way or would have done it that way," she said wide-eyed. And you know the surprising thing is that Kajol's never consciously modelled herself on her aunt.
There's a lot of her granduncle, Kishore Kumar Ganguly, in her. The tomfoolery… the madness. One day, watching her go wild on the sets of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai I jokingly asked Rani, who was sitting beside me, "Does madness run in your family?" Rani I must say was a true trooper. She just smiled and maintained a tactful silence. Rani's a lady. While Kajol's anything but ladylike. Yet, both girls are so loveable.
Kajol may be a brat but success hasn't spoilt her. Fortune hasn't tainted her. I don't even think the child knows how much money she has in the bank. She still calls to ask Tanu if she can have a couple of hundred bucks for a dress she's seen on Fashion Street. And when her mother asks her if she should send her some more she'll retort, "What for?" My feelings for Kajol have changed though. Once I was a chiding elder. Now I'm a proud relative who can sit back and marvel at my child's growth. Today I don't have to keep an eye on her to see if she's gobbling any chocolates. Even if she does nibble one occasionally, I know she'll exercise off the extra calories or skip a meal. Now even Mickey is on her side. "Let her take a bite, Gautam," he'll coax me. "I've seen what she's had for breakfast and she hasn't had her lunch. The child has to eat something."
Kajol's grown into a fine actress. But I don't think it'll take her too long to outgrow the industry. Today it interests her, tomorrow she may walk out without a second thought like her mother. And get busy with something else. She knows there's a life for her away from films. And I know that once she leaves she won't come back. Kajol hates that all too familiar feeling of déjà vu..."</span>