Over the years, Kajal Aggarwal has built a successful career in both Hindi and South Indian cinema, working with some of the biggest stars across industries. While she made a strong impression in Bollywood with films like ‘Singham’ and ‘Do Lafzon Ki Kahani,’ the actor has largely focused on South cinema in recent years. In a recent interaction, Kajal Aggarwal opened up about why she became selective about Hindi films, what Bollywood can learn from the South film industry, and how the portrayal of women has changed over the years.
Kajal Aggarwal says South cinema offered the roles she was looking for
Explaining why she chose to prioritise South films when speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Kajal Aggarwal said quality of work was always her biggest priority. “The quality of work I was getting down South was not something I was getting in Bollywood. The roles that I wanted… my priority was quality over quantity. South cinema was giving me those opportunities in abundance, so why would I do average roles in Bollywood?” she said.The actor added that language was never a deciding factor in her career. “My priority has always been meaningful cinema. Language was never a barrier for me because I enjoy the craft of filmmaking. It took me seven films to truly fall in love with acting, but once I did, I became completely committed to it,” Kajal shared.
Actor says Bollywood can learn punctuality from the South
Kajal Aggarwal also pointed to one major difference between the two industries: punctuality. “Bollywood should learn punctuality from the South. In Hindi films, nothing happens on time. In the South, people work by the clock. I am used to reaching the set on time, and I like that discipline,” she said.Recalling an incident from her Bollywood career, Kajal Aggarwal revealed, “Salman Khan made me wait the longest, and I wasn’t used to it. He would arrive in the afternoon or even the evening. Since I had so much time, I would go to the gym that was on the set. I had become so used to the discipline followed in South cinema.” She also noted that South films have evolved in their portrayal of women. “The industry is now writing stronger and more liberal roles for women. They are no longer obsessed with female navels. I always drew the line and never agreed to such scenes,” she said.
Kajal Aggarwal continues to balance commercial and pan-Indian projects
After establishing herself as one of the leading actresses in Indian cinema, Kajal Aggarwal continues to take on projects across multiple languages. She will next be seen in ‘The India Story’ and is also part of Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’ series, where she plays ‘Mandodari.’ Even as she expands her filmography, Kajal says her choices continue to be guided by the strength of the script rather than the language, reinforcing the philosophy that has shaped her career for nearly two decades. Go to Source
