Actress Kajal Aggarwal is experiencing one of the most significant career moments as she prepares to portray Mandodari in Nitesh Tiwari's highly anticipated cinematic adaptation of the Ramayana. In an exclusive conversation, the actress shares her excitement about this dream role and how it's pushing her to explore new creative depths.
The Dream Role of Mandodari
Kajal Aggarwal describes her casting as Mandodari as genuinely a dream role that she feels extremely grateful to have received. The epic scale of the production and the timeless story of Ramayana, which she notes is close to everyone's hearts, makes this project particularly special for her. Playing one of the Panchkanyas has motivated her to continuously read and research to ensure she does justice to the character.
Her recent visit to Lucknow has further deepened her connection to the role. Having family roots in the city, she's determined to explore the cultural richness of Lucknow, from the famous vegetarian kebabs to the historic architecture of Aminabad and other culturally significant areas.
Cutting-Edge VFX and Indian Cinema's Global Rise
The conversation takes an exciting turn when discussing the film's visual effects. Kajal recalls a particularly immersive VFX session where she had to sit inside a circular cage-like structure surrounded by cameras from all angles, creating a globe-like filming environment. This experience reminded her of her previous performance capture work for S Shankar's Indian 3, which required traveling to Los Angeles.
What makes her particularly proud is how Indian VFX facilities have now surpassed international standards. She emphasizes that the VFX studio used for Ramayana in India was far superior to the overseas facility she previously worked in, demonstrating how Indian technical capabilities are crossing global boundaries and competing with Hollywood studios.
Balancing Stardom, Motherhood and Digital Life
While work on Ramayana has just begun for Kajal, she describes the set energy as infectious, with the entire cast dedicated to giving their 500 percent. However, this intensity doesn't extend to her social media presence, where she maintains strict boundaries to protect her inner life and peace of mind.
Motherhood has profoundly changed Kajal's perspective, making her more emotional, sensitive, and appreciative of life's small miracles. She's particularly protective of her son Neil, keeping him away from media spotlight as much as possible and being very selective about any public exposure.
On the subject of AI in entertainment, Kajal maintains a practical outlook, recognizing it as the present reality rather than distant future. She believes adaptation is key to ensuring technology serves rather than rules humanity.
When assessing Indian cinema's current standing, Kajal expresses full confidence in its potential, particularly highlighting South Indian cinema's global achievements through films like Pushpa and RRR. She firmly believes that with consistent hard work, Indian cinema is positioned to become the world's leading film industry in the long term.
