Kajol: Actors are now more about ‘me’ as a brand

After Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol too completed 25 years in the Bollywood industry. On giving the industry nearly three decades of her life, the actress spoke about how things have changed from then to now.

When asked about the number of films that actors sign today from the 10-12 films they used to do during the 90s, Kajol opined, "That’s not because we had a personal equation with the filmmaker or better understanding at the time. That is because people have realised now that you can’t do everything. At that point of time, every film did well. I don’t think there was anything that you could have called a very big flop. It was a different time and space altogether and everyone watched everything because there was no other form of entertainment back then. Now, people are more conscious about what they are doing, what they are saying on and off screen. That also contributed a lot to it. Again, for the better and because it’s a different world today than what it was then."

When asked about multi-starrers that were a rage in the 90s unlike today, Kajol added, "That’s the whole point. Nobody is that confident about the other person anymore, to do a multi-starrer. That is why I am saying that there definitely are some good changes, but there are also changes that are not-so-great. Back then, everyone was friends, everyone knew each other. We were all drinking buddies. We knew each others’ families, wives, and children. Now, it’s suddenly all about I, me, and myself... more about ‘me’ as a brand. Will I work with another person? Will that affect my brand equity? Will the other person overshadow me? So, yes, there are a lot of insecurities and considerations to take into account now."

However, Kajol feels that the industry has changed for better. "It’s more professional. Bollywood has become a big industry. Earlier, the industry was much smaller and there used to only be a handful of people working. Now, there are corporates, so there are a hundred different avenues and reasons to have a job. The time has changed. In a lot of ways, for the good and in a lot of ways, for the bad," said Kajol as she signed off.














CREDITS: DNA