Kajol Talks Genre-Hopping and the Nature of Indian Box Office

As she celebrates a milestone birthday, Bollywood icon Kajol shows no signs of slowing down. With four diverse projects in various stages of production, the actor reflects on her enduring career and the evolving landscape of Indian cinema.

“I don’t do too much work. That’s my motivation,” Kajol tells Variety with characteristic frankness. “I want to work with good people. I want to work with people that I can tolerate for the entire amount of time that I’m shooting with them.” This selective approach has served her well over the decades, allowing her to stay relevant.

Kajol’s career has been marked by a string of memorable performances in commercial and critical successes. Her collaborations with Shah Rukh Khan in films like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “My Name is Khan” have become cultural touchstones. She’s also won acclaim for more dramatic turns in “Fanaa” and “Gupt,” while her recent forays into streaming with Netflix‘s “Tribhanga” and “Lust Stories 2” and Disney+ Hotstar‘s “The Good Wife” adaptation “The Trial” have showcased her adaptability to changing audience preferences. Her ventures into Tamil-language cinema, including “Minsara Kanavu” and the more recent “Velaiilla Pattadhari 2,” have further demonstrated her cross-cultural appeal.

Her upcoming slate showcases her versatility, spanning horror, action, drama and mystery. In “Maa,” Kajol ventures into the horror genre for the first time. “It scares the crap out of me and hopefully, you as well,” she quips. However, she’s quick to point out the film’s complexity: “It’s more than just horror. It’s a psychological drama with elements of thriller and suspense. You can’t really keep it to one genre.” Working with director Vishal Furia, known for his work in the genre, has been a positive experience. “He’s a fabulous director, and you have a great time working with him,” she notes.

Kayoze Irani’s “Sarzameen,” a mystery thriller, delves into relationships and the facets of love. “I’ve worked with Prithviraj [Sukumaran] for the first time and he’s absolutely wonderful to work with and so was Ibrahim [Ali Khan], so I think it’s going to be quite interesting to see both of them on screen,” Kajol says.

Charan Tej Uppalapati’s action-packed “Maharagni – Queen of Queens” reunites her with Prabhu Deva 27 years after Rajiv Menon’s “Minsaara Kanavu.” While details are under wraps, Kajol describes it as an “out and out commercial film” with strong characters pitted against each other.

Netflix’s “Do Patti” sees Kajol playing a cop. “That’s a completely different character for me to play,” Kajol says.

Reflecting on the current state of Indian cinema, Kajol notes the unpredictable nature of box office success. “Right now, it’s a huge question mark. There is no formula,” she observes. “We can’t predict audiences. If we could, we’d be gods of the film industry.”

She acknowledges the impact of global content on audience tastes. “When you’re watching content in all different languages across the world, you’re bound to compare your own content to it,” Kajol says. “Today, you’re not only going to be compared to the people within your sphere, it’s a lot bigger, this pool is much bigger for you to stand out in. And therefore, you have to perform at that level as well.”

Kajol remains focused on her craft. “My hero is my script,” she states. “I have to really like what I’m doing, who I’m playing. I have to be able to find that amount of material to work with. A good script is not easy to find, it’s really not easy to find, it’s something that you have to like, look through, look through, look through.”

As for the possibility of working in Western productions, Kajol is open but selective. “I’d like to, but again, I feel that that’s something that it’s a different world altogether. I want to be able to do something that would really be worthwhile,” she explains.

Kajol continues to navigate the ever-changing landscape of Indian cinema with her trademark blend of practicality and passion. Fans of her recent streaming hit “The Trial” may have reason for optimism, as Kajol teases the possibility of a second season, saying, “Cross your fingers and pray.”