Loading ...
You cant hurry love, No, you just have to wait; She said love don’t come easy, it’s a game of give and take Diana Ross’s love song pretty much sums up the theme of the CNN-IBN Valentine’s Day special show Celebrating Love. Moderated by Anuradha SenGupta, the show saw real-life celebrity couple Kajol and Ajay Devgan - making their first public appearance together on Indian television – talk about love, marriage and their upcoming film U Me Aur Hum. They were joined on the show by three more couples whose love stories are as intriguing and interesting as the concept of love - Srija and Shirish from Hyderabad, Daniella and Rahul from New Delhi and Namrata and Yogesh, also from New Delhi. Given below is an excerpt from the chat with Ajay and Kajol, followed by the complete video of the show. Anuradha SenGupta: U Me Aur Hum sees you both together after seven years. I am an Ajay Devgan fan and of his movies like Omkara, Company and Khaki. When you decided to pick your first movie to direct, the fact that you chose romance – ‘love at first sight’ – surprises me.Ajay: I didn’t decide I wanted to direct first and then decided the plot. I had something in my which I wanted to speak about. I had an idea. I wanted to speak about love, positively. I thought we were missing a lot of positivity and we discussed all problems except love. So I wanted to say something and decided I might as well say it myself. SenGupta: Is it something we are missing, Kajol? Is he a romantic guy and we don’t know about it? Kajol (laughs): Umm…The fact that I am hesitating should tell you a lot. I think he required a lot of training and that’s why it took us seven years to make U Me Aur Hum. I think he believes in the essence of romance more than anything else. I think he believes deep down that love is about – umm – jaise bolte hain, nibhana padta hai (one has to get by). Ajay: It’s not about talking, it’s about action. And that’s what I believe in. It’s in subtle things and not in the big things. You can just figure out if the other person loves you through those subtle things.
Kajol: You don’t have to give her a diamond ring to prove that you love her. SenGupta: (to Ajay) You just said positivity. In you director’s quote you say and I quote, ‘The primary reason for me to make this film is about positivity. People have become cynical and less optimistic than before.’ Why do you think that true love is not in such demand these days? Ajay: I am not saying it’s not in demand. But when you read papers and hear people talk, you just hear about things not working out, divorces happening and not getting along… Kajol: When you get married you go in thinking, ‘Oh my God! What am I going to do and I will get divorced.’ So you are already preparing yourself before hand.
Despite being one of the most talented and respected actor in Bollywood, young mother Kajol is rarely seen in films because she is content being a housewife and mother. Only a rare good script can ‘Kajol’ her to face the cameras. Kajol is content with her life that revolves around her star husband Ajay Devgan and four year old daughter Nysa. Just 32-year-old Kajol says, “I’ve achieved whatever I wanted to achieve. “I thank God for what I have. I’m really blessed. I go to a temple and I really have nothing to ask for because I have everything I want.” Kajol’s been there, done that attitude carries over to her professional career. Only a good script can tempt her to return to the sets. Her next film U Me Aur Hum, in which Kajol stars opposite husband Ajay Devgan, is presumably one such script. The film also marks Devgan’s directorial debut. Kajol says she is not in the film because it is being directed by her husband. “It would never occur to him to compromise on the film by taking me in something that would not suit me,” she says. Kajol made a spectacular comeback from a five year sabbatical with Kunal Kohli’s Fanaa in 2006, winning the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the fourth time, a feat that placed her on a pedestal with Meena Kumari and Madhuri Dixit.However, she is both modest and circumspect about her next film.”I don’t think anyone can predict what people will think once they see the promos.I can just hope that our work is appreciated and hope for the best,” says Kajol, about the promos of U, Me Aur Hum.In his recent film Halla Bol Devgan’s character Sameer Khan and his secretary negatively allude to some real life controversies surrounding Shah Rukh Khan (Dancing at LN Mittal’s daughter’s lavish wedding) and Aamir Khan (Claims that he had cheated on his wife) baiting tabloids to speculate that Devgan doesn’t like the Khans and stops Kajol from acting with them. Devgan has rubbished the speculations saying in the film he was merely mouthing dialogs written for him by someone else. Kajol, whose past screen pairing with Shah Rukh and Aamir have rocked the Box Office with hits like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Fanaa also rubbishes the tabloid speculation. There is no bad blood between her husband Devgan and Shah Rukh Khan, only a lack of communication. “Ajay and I are an anti-social couple,” she says. “There’s so much going on at home that we don’t find the time to go out and meet anybody.” She likes Shah Rukh as a co-star. “He’s a sweetheart! It’s so comfortable to work with him,” she says. The only reason why she hasn’t been paired with Shah Rukh lately is because no one has come up with the right script. Kajol and Shah Rukh are likely to be seen together again in Karan Johar’s planned film My Name Is Khan. Shah Rukh will play a Muslim, who gets wrongly detained on a flight because his last name is Khan and the authorities believe that must make a terrorist. The film, scripted by Shivani Bhatija (KANK, Fanaa), is expected to roll in mid 2008. -Chandan Das
Aamir Khan and Kajol are expcted to be Raju Hirani’s next tentatively titled Idiot. Both stars are believed to have said yes and work is on to get the film started in the third quarter of 2008. The two films that Aamir Khan Khan and Kajol have done together, Ishq and Fanaa have been successes. Firoz Nadiadwala the maker of big budget commercial extravaganzas like Phir Hera Pheri and Welcome will soon start a film critically acclaimed director Govind Nihalani. The film is said to be a period drama set in 1850. Ram Gopal Verma’s Sarkar Raj has been delayed further and now the film is expected in July/August. Thriller specialists Abbas Mustan are planning to get into production in a big way. They have signed Rumi Jaffrey and Rohit Jugraj to direct for their banner. It is also believed that Priyanka Chopra has been signed for the Rohit Jugraj directed film.
The year 2008 has brought with it a busy schedule for Kajol. Besides doing ‘U, Me Aur Hum’ with hubby Ajay Devgan, Kajol will also be seen with Shah Rukh Khan in Karan Johar’s next film ‘Mr Khan’. And now, the actress has bagged the female lead in Rajkumar Hirani’s next film ‘Idiots’. In all, it seems to be a very busy year ahead for Kajol. According to reports, ‘Idiots’ is based on Chetan Bhagat’s story – ‘Five Point Someone’ – dealing with three IIT students. The film also has Aamir Khan in the male lead and it is learnt that Hirani has approached Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham for different roles in the film that is to begin shooting in a few months’ time.
