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 all sectors. Although he made a strong impression in Bollywood with films like ‘Singham’ and ‘Do Lafzon Ki Kahani’, the actor has largely focused on southern cinema in recent years. In a recent interaction, Kajal Aggarwal explained 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 southern cinema offered the roles she was looking for
Explaining why she chose to prioritize southern films while speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Kajal Aggarwal said that quality of work was always her top priority. “The quality of work I was doing down south was not something I was getting in Bollywood. The roles I wanted… my priority was quality over quantity. South cinema was giving me such opportunities in abundance, so why would I do average roles in Bollywood?” he said.The actor added that language was never a deciding factor in his career. “My priority has always been meaningful cinema. Language was never a barrier for me because I love the craft of filmmaking. It took me seven films to really fall in love with acting, but once I did, I was completely committed,” shared Kajal.
The actor says Bollywood can learn punctuality from the South
Kajal Aggarwal also pointed out a 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 sets on time and I like that discipline,” he said.Recalling an incident from her Bollywood career, Kajal Aggarwal revealed, “salman khan it made me wait longer, and I wasn’t used to it. It would arrive in the afternoon or even in the evening. Since I had so much time, I went to the gym that was on the set. I had become so used to the discipline followed in southern cinema.” He also noted that southern 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 the female navel. I always drew the line and never accepted those scenes,” he 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 do projects in various languages. He will next be seen in ‘The India Story’ and is also a part of it Nitesh Tiwarithe series ‘Ramayana’, where he plays ‘Mandodari’. Even as she expands her filmography, Kajal says her choices remain guided by the strength of the script rather than the language, reinforcing the philosophy that has shaped her career for nearly two decades.