'If you’re good enough, sometimes that’s close to being perfect': Kajol on new series

Kajol, one of the most loved and successful actresses in Bollywood is playing the lead role in the new series The Trial. In her three decade-long career, she has delivered several memorable performances including blockbusters like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. In a chat, Kajol talks about the reason to choose The Trial and how there are different rules for men and women in our society. The director of The Trial, Suparn Verma, who is also a part of this conversation, shared his experience of working with Kajol.

The Trial - Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha is an adaptation of the acclaimed show The Good Wife. What drew you towards this show? How is your character Noyonika Sengupta different from Alicia of The Good Wife and what drew you towards this character.

Kajol: Noyonika is very much the quintessential ‘good wife’. She thinks her life is completely on track. She is a good wife, a good mother and on top of the social ladder. But when her entire world comes crumbling down, she has to start again from the bottom. That’s when she realizes she has to find who the real Noyonika Sengupta is.

There are many crucial issues related to women that your character Noyonika raises through her story. What do you think was the most important takeaway from this character?

The biggest takeaway is that she is not perfect while she thinks she is perfect in the beginning of the show. And when things go wrong, she has to juggle everything and that is when she finally redefines what perfect means. Sometimes perfect means being imperfect. If you’re good enough, that is, at times, close to being perfect.

Suparn, was there a reference point from any of Kajol’s previous performances? How did you imagine Kajol in this role?

Suparn: I only thought about her for this role. The idea was not to draw references from her previous roles but to do exactly the reverse of what happened in previous roles. So in most of her famous roles so far, you have had heroes steal her away from a fiance or boyfriend. Here she starts off with a man cheating on her and getting slapped (laughs) and restarting her life, trying to find love again, and loving herself.

So in a way, this could it be a sequel to DDLJ?

(Kajol laughs)

Suparn: This is DDLJ gone wrong (laughs).

We are constantly evolving as a society, but do you think there are still different rules for men and women? How do the dynamics change when we talk about this story in Indian context?

The rules are definitely different for men and women. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus and society has put them even further apart. For instance, a woman is never blamed if she doesn’t have a job but a man will be called a loser for the rest of his life if he is not a breadwinner. A man on the other hand can remain a bachelor till he is seventy while a woman has to get married at 24 or 25. There are lots of different rules based on the gender. This show is nicely put together because we are addressing a lot of issues in the society but in the nicest and entertaining way possible. You will like these characters but you’ll also question their intent. The show is really in a grey area.

In the Hindi film industry, courtroom dramas have been an important genre with mostly loud but entertaining dialogues. What kind of a lawyer is Noyonika in The Trial?

Suparn: A more realistic, a more professional lawyer than 'Taareekh pe Taareekh'. (Sunny Deol in Damini)

Kajol: (Laughs) Yes, that’s right! Because, Noyonika has to start from the scratch. By the time she begins as a practising lawyer, her peers who were with her in law school have become heads in law firms while she starts at a much lower spot. She needs to understand how to work around the system. She is a learner whereas everyone is an expert.

It's an intense role. You're mostly offered heavy, emotional roles which I think by now must be your comfort zone onscreen. What's that one role that you still wish to do?

Kajol: I desperately want to do a comedy.

You come from a family of actors and big female stars. Do you recall any advice that you were given by them as a young female actor when you joined the film industry?

They gave me no advice. Zero advice! When I was about twelve, my mother said that whatever decisions I make in life, I have to realize that I have to take responsibility of myself. So whether or not I do my homework, I fail or pass, I lie or I don't, I have to take responsibility of the consequences of my actions. So in my career, my mother never made any decisions for me. My aunt or my grandmother never discussed my career.

Any plans of onscreen work with Ajay Devgn as now he is directing films regularly? Do you ever tell him that you want him to plan a film with you?

Never! We have so many things to talk about at home so films are perhaps last in the list. Of course, I have told him I would love to work with him again as I think he is one of the finest directors I have worked with. But it has to be the right script and role. I think he also needs to feel that he deserves me (laughs).

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