AB:You’re playing for a cause, what is the name of the Cancer Society?
Ajay: It is called Mahesh Memorial Trust, in Chennai. It is in the name of Mahesh Madhavan, a young music composer, who was suffering from cancer for 17 long years and died at the age of 47.
Kajol:In his will he wrote that he wanted his friends, from the industry, to set up a trust where people suffering from cancer can be helped. It could be to fight cancer - be it counseling, chemotherapy or even paediatrics (to start soon).
AB:Mani Ratnam is involved with this project?
Ajay:Yes, Mani was close to Mahesh. I did not know Mahesh personally, but Mani called me.
AB:Are we ready to play?
Kajol:I guess we won’t be ready, but let’s start all the same!
AB:Kajol and Ajay, you have a baby daughter Nysa (pronounced Nisa). How do you feel leaving her back home?
Kajol:We take her along with us always, but it is her sleeping time so we did not bring her with us.
AB:What does Nysa mean?
Ajay:It means Goddess of purity
Kajol:He named her Nysa. He had already decided that if the baby is a girl then she will have to be Nysa.
AB:How is she doing?
Kajol:Very fine
Ajay:Everything is fine but she talks a lot (and smiles)
AB:As a couple you have been very private people?
Ajay:I have always been like this, but she (pointing to Kajol) likes to go out once in a way.
Kajol:We spend a lot of time with the family and since our immediate families consist of 30-35 people, where is the time for friends?
Ajay:No it’s not friends, basically just lazy. I just don’t like going out.
Kajol:True. It is laziness. But Nysa is not like that.
AB:Both your parents are known to me. Tanuja, Kajol’s mother was my first heroine. The film was Pyar Ki Kahani.
Kajol:Yes, I saw the film.
AB:Did you? Actually I got the role by default. The role was to be done by Jeetendra. He could not, hence I got to do it. Ajay’s father is Veeru Devgan. I have to share an interesting thing about him with you. He started off in a small way. He came from Punjab with dreams of making it big in Mumbai. He started as a stuntman, then fight composer, film producer, distributor - he has achieved a lot. He was always keen to learn more. Ajay, you are very fortunate to be his son. Veeru, if you are watching the show here’s wishing you good health, happiness and keep smiling as you always do.
AB:How did you two come together?
Kajol:We signed two films, which we did together. At that time he was seeing someone and I too was seeing someone. By the end of the film we broke off from our respective partners and became close.
AB:Did you then decide to get married?
Ajay:No. It was a gradual process. We were friends, spent a lot of time with each other, gave ourselves time.
AB:Since Veeruji was an action-co-ordinator, your earlier films were action films. Now you are doing a lot of serious films, how did that transition happen?
Ajay:I have been lucky to get the right kind of roles and also chance to work with the right directors. I think the opportunity was right, I did not make any effort really.
AB:Were you worried Kajol about his stunts?
Kajol:Yes, very worried. I asked him if it was me who made him so accident-prone. He said, “No. I have always been like this”. I guess he broke 200 bones before and some six after he met me.
AB:Any memorable or difficult stunt?
Ajay:Not really. I think during your time the stunts were much more difficult. Our time there’s a lot of precautions that came into play. Stunts seem a lot more easier.
AB:That’s why I appreciate what Veeruji did. (He relates an incident during the shoot of Reshma Aur Shera). Now there is padding. Sholay had no padding, it was tough then.
AB:Anything really tough or adventurous?
Ajay:Most often we’ve managed.
Kajol:But in Hindustan Ki Kasam he had to dive from the plane, that seemed scary. I’m happy he is doing normal stuff.
Ajay:That too was normal stuff.
Kajol:A man jumping from two floors cannot be normal stuff, except may be in Fear Factor etc.
AB:Now that you feel more responsible with Nysa, do you feel you should not do it?
Ajay:Yes, it makes you think. You become more careful, not just doing stunts but in all your actions.
AB:Kajol, you are doing a film with Aamir, for the first time?
Kajol:I’ve worked with him earlier.
AB:It’s a Yash-Raj film and I know they don’t speak about it until everything is ready.
Kajol:It’s a contemporary film, but with a light old world feel to it. Not historical.
AB:Aamir generally does historicals.
Kajol:(Laughingly) And it takes four years to complete. But this is not so.
AB:When will it begin?
Kajol:From September 15.
AB:And finish in about two months!
Kajol:No, not two months, but about six months.
Kajol answers a question on martial arts, which prompts AB to ask about her interest.
Kajol:I am a regular martial arts film person. I have watched all Jackie Chan films - in fact the entire family, my mom, sister and I we love watching martial arts films.