Too much pressure on actresses to look a certain way: Kajol

The actress faced criticism for her public appearances in the beginning of her career and has now evolved her style sense over the years.

New Delhi: Bollywood diva Kajol, returning to the big screen after a gap of five years with "Dilwale", believes there is too much pressure on actresses to look good which often takes the attention away from their work.

"There is too much pressure to look a certain way and it is wrong. Somewhere down the line you don't have a life beyond that. Every morning you are getting up and getting dressed. It takes the attention away from your work," Kajol told PTI in an interview.

The actress, 41, faced criticism for her public appearances in the beginning of her career and though her style sense has evolved over the years, Kajol is still not bothered by what people think about her looks.

"There is too much importance attached to it but at the same time it is there. You can't get away from it. You can adapt to it or not. You have to take a stand... I have figured a way around it so I am comfortable with it myself. I don't exactly make a fool of me in public anymore.

"But after a point you will see me in my pajamas. It is something innate in me. I can't be bothered about everybody's opinion."

Kajol's look in her upcoming film "Dilwale" is getting her a lot of appreciation from fans and the actress is happy that things have worked out well.

"I know for a fact that I am looking good in the film. The reaction has been overwhelming... Everything has turned out well and it has been great. The reaction has been fantastic. Manish (Malhotra) has done the clothes in the movie," she says.
There were reports that she had a fall out with the designer but Kajol dismisses it with a hearty laugh. "We are too good friends to have differences."

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol make one of the most successful on-screen pairings in Bollywood. Rohit Shetty's "Dilwale", slated to release on December 18, will reunite them for the seventh time and the actress says it was one of the reasons for her to do the movie.

"I liked my character in the movie and thought I could do something with it and Rohit was directing the film. I have known Rohit for years and the fact that SRK was producing and starring in it. It has to be a combination of everything to say yes."

Also, her daughter Nysa had a big role in her decision to star in Shetty's action-comedy. The director has worked with husband Ajay Devgn on "Golmaal", "All The Best" and "Singham".

"My daughter wanted me to do this film. She does not like to see me cry on screen, she is very clear about it. She keeps telling me 'Why can't you do films like papa does.' And the next thing is Rohit offering me this script. I thought God is giving me a sign," she says.

Kajol, however, says the film, despite being a typical Rohit Shetty entertainer, has something more to offer with its two love stories.

"It is definitely in the action comedy zone. It is a typical Rohit Shetty film but he has concentrated a lot more on relationships and love aspect with SRK and me and Varun Dhawan-Kriti Sanon's tracks. It is a nice mix of everything despite the many cars that he has destroyed in the film."