Kajal Aggarwal breaks the monotony

She thought she’d do one film before joining a B-School, but is now in her twelfth year of cinema. Kajal Aggarwal on what keeps her ticking

Summer 2016 was poised to be big and eventful for her, with a film each co-starring Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu. Both Sardaar Gabbar Singh and Brahmotsavam arrived, only to eat humble pie at the box office. In the former, Kajal Aggarwal walked away with praises for portraying the charming, beautiful princess Arshi and in the latter, made a mark in her limited role.

Her prospect of a good summer isn’t over, yet, with Do Lafzon kiKahani up for release. Reflecting on the two Telugu biggies that failed to click, Kajal shrugs, “What can one do? As actors we put in our best but when people don’t like a film, you have to learn to deal with it. I’ve learnt not to get too emotional.”

It’s been 12 years since she stepped into cinema with a brief part in

Kyun Ho Gaya Na (2004). Director Teja introduced her to Telugu cinema through

Lakshmi Kalyanam (2007). She’s come a full circle, having signed a new film with her mentor Teja, also starring Rana Daggubati. “Teja has a fabulous story to tell and it’s a political thriller, something I’ve never been a part of before,” says Kajal, the excitement showing through. “He had offered me two films earlier but I wasn’t able to do them. I’m looking forward to this film. I am at a stage where I want to be known as a versatile actor,” she says.

A career in cinema, Kajal recalls, wasn’t a planned move. “I studied mass media and brand management and was looking to do an MBA. When an acting offer came by, I thought I’ll do one film so that it would look good on my CV. Films happened one after another, in different industries. I’m so glad things turned out the way they did,” she laughs.

Kajal knew cinema was unforgiving and it wouldn’t be easy to clock in long innings. “Apart from hard work and being in the right projects, you need to re-invent yourself. I’d be bored doing the same thing over and over and the audience wouldn’t like it too. The trick is to break that monotony,” she says.

This need to re-invent prompted her to work on a fresh look with stylist Archa Mehta in

Sardaar Gabbar Singh . “When the part came to me I thought ‘I’ve already played a princess in

Magadheera . The only difference is, Arshi is a contemporary princess’. I had to look like a princess who is modern enough to be a girl of 2016. We wanted to get that mix right.”

Her next release, Do Lafzon ki Kahani , is not a film in which she can walk away with brownie points for looking pretty. “An intense, character-driven story,” she says, required her to do her bit of spadework in the form of watching reference films, attending workshops at Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged, Mumbai, to get the gait and mannerisms of a blind person. She was taught the basics of Braille and had to know how the visually challenged used everyday gadgets. “I’ve tried my best not to do it wrong,” she says.

Next, there are Tamil films — Kavalai Vendam with Jiiva and Garuda with Vikram — and her jewellery brand, Marsala, which she spearheads with her sister Nisha, has completed a year. “My business management streak is alive through this entrepreneurial venture. My sister has a great taste in jewellery and we thought it would be perfect to do something related to high-end fashion jewellery,” Kajal signs off.