Ajay was like a principal of a school: Kajol
Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—On a comeback trail, Kajol reveals her experiences being directed by hubby Ajay Devgan. Karol’s back. After Fanaa with Aamir Khan, the chirpy actress...will be seen on-screen after her mar riage in U, Me Aur Hum, directed by hubby Ajay Devgan. On the eve of the music launch of the film, Kajol shares her views on her husband’s directorial prowess, her debut as a producer and her return to Bollywood. Excerpts from an interview:
How did it feel being directed by your husband Ajay?
It was an honour and I am proud of the fact that my husband directed me as a heroine. He is one of the best directors I have ever worked with and the experience is going to stay with me for a very long time. He is a director to the core.
Did you give him any directorial suggestions while filming? Also, did you discuss the film at home too?
I don’t think I did much alone. Right from the story idea to the script and the entire shooting, all of us worked together. Credit also goes to the executive producer, the editors, the scriptwriters and everyone on the sets. They worked hard to make it a good film. We would brainstorm and chat to get new ideas that could improve the film. So it was a team effort. As far as the improvisations are concerned, we had a bound script and we shot as it was. We do discuss films at home sometimes but nowadays it has increased since we are in the post-production stage. He speaks of nothing else but the film (smiles).
Was Ajay a strict director?
He was like a principal of a school and I think if a principal is not strict, the school can go haywire. Ajay made sure everyone on the sets knew who the captain of the ship was. He has a different working style. Though he was the director of the film, I was the producer so he didn’t bully me. He was so clear about his ideas that he never got a chance to pull me up. Ajay is very easy to understand. Vishal Bharadwaj has done the title track of the film. I think it is important to bring in new talent. We were also given a break when we were newcomers. Vishal is a good music director and has a great voice and so, we asked him to sing the title track. It is my favourite number in the film.
Now that you are back, what kind of roles are you looking at doing? Are you doing Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan?
I’ve tentatively said yes to Karan Johar. I have not yet read the script. Nothing has been finalised yet. As for the roles, it depends on the scripts. It has to be a good script and a good director. I won’t say yes unless I see the script.
Has your daughter Nysa seen your earlier films? Did she come to the sets?
Nysa was with us on the cruise but not on the sets. She would get bored. I tried showing her my films but when she sees me crying she starts crying too and asks us to change the channel. These days quite a few married actresses are returning to Bollywood. It’s not a recent trend. Old-timers like Saira Bano have made comebacks after marriage. But yes, the audience has changed, their viewpoint has changed.