Kajol on difference between Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan: ‘Maybe SRK’s hard work doesn’t show, Ajay’s does’
Kajol has been married to Ajay Devgn for over two decades, but her most resilient on-screen relationship is with Shah Rukh Khan. In a new interview, she spoke about how differently the public perceives them.
Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. (DDLJ). (Express archive photo)
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Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan’s professional relationship goes back a long way. The two actors have worked together on numerous Bollywood hits, and are often regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved on-screen pairs. In an appearance on the Beerbiceps podcast, Kajol attempted to decode the secret to Shah Rukh’s sustained stardom, and recalled a couple of anecdotes as well.
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She said, “Shah Rukh is one of those people who recognised very early on who he was on screen, who he was expected to be, and pretty much lived up to those expectations. I remember once on his birthday, I was like, ‘It’s your birthday, I’m coming to see you’. He said, ‘Come, come, but today’s not a good day’. I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘I have to go out, I have to meet all these people, give interviews. At the end of the day, my birthday’s not my own anymore. I belong to these people’. And that’s who he is.”
Kajol said that somebody once asked her why Shah Rukh has become such a massive star, and she said, “The answer is so simple. It’s because he worked hard for it. Maybe his hard work doesn’t show, and Ajay Devgn’s shows. He just works 24/7 at making sure he is who he is, unchanging, and at the same time, changing, and evolving, and doing other things.”
Asked about how Shah Rukh has changed over the years, Kajol said that she hasn’t worked with him in some time, but she knows ‘for a fact’ that he is focussing more on himself now, and taking the time to concentrate on his personal life.
Kajol and Shah Rukh have worked together on films such as Karan Arjun, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, My Name is Khan, and most recently, in Dilwale. Shah Rukh will make his much-awaited return to starring roles with Pathaan in January, while Kajol will next be seen in the film Salaam Venky.
