MUMBAI: Bollywood actress, supermom, and wife of actor Ajay Devgn, Kajol has finally broken her silence and spoken about the war that had ensued between Yash Raj Films [YRF] and Ajay Devgn Ffilms [ADF] for their Diwali releases ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ and ‘Son Of Sardaar’.
The controversy surrounding these two stalwart production houses began when her husband’s ADF, filed a complaint in the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against YRF.
Ajay accused YRF of using its dominant position in the market to obtain maximum screens for their SRK starrer ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, which resulted in Devgn’s ‘Son of Sardaar’ not finding enough screens.
This ugly battle played out even after the tragic demise of YRF’s founder Yash Chopra in October. This caused many hurt sentiments among industry people, who felt Ajay should have dropped the case out of respect for Yashji.
After the fracas, it is now time for Kajol to speak out. The lady who had worked with YRF in super-hit films like ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ and ‘Fanaa’, and had been among Late Yash Chopra’s favourite heroines, now reveals that the professional tussle has hurt her personal relationships.
“Yes, it affected my relationship. But that was a situation which had come out of ordinary. It was not a normal situation… It doesn’t occur normally. It doesn’t happen everyday… Hopefully, it will not happen in future again,” said Kajol.
The 38-year-old actress, who left Bollywood at the peak of her career to marry Devgn, and now is supermom to their two children, still commands respect in Bollywood. Kajol who has seen super-hits like ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ and ‘My Name Is Khan’ despite being married, spoke about the changing face of Bollywood these days.
“Time has changed in the industry. It’s a good time for women because people are willing to experiment now. Even our audiences are bound to think and want something different. It’s a fantastic time for women in the industry as directors are taking a risk with them,” she said.
Having said that, she still laments the fact that Bollywood continues to be a male-dominated industry. “I agree that it’s a perfect time for an actress to be in the industry but I still feel it’s male dominated. You can’t take away the male domination on the basis of female-oriented films doing good business in the box-office.”
