Kajol on The Trial season 2 releasing right after Aryan Khan’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood: ‘He’s an intelligent boy, will put it to good use’

This is the first time you’ve done a part 2 of anything! Was it easy to slip back into Noyonika’s shoes for season 2?

No, not at all. Noyonika is a character every woman identifies with. I don’t think she’s that difficult to understand. It was very comfortable. As a good director should, Umesh ji had explained so nicely to me about what she’s exactly going through and how she needs to say what she needs to say. So, there were no doubts about where she was in season 2 in my mind.

Since Umesh wasn’t on season 1 (it was helmed by Suparn Varma), did you have to handhold him going into season 2?

Not at all! When you work with a person for the first time, there’s an open discussion, which is wonderful, as it should be. The more we talked to each other, the more we could understand what we’re thinking. That’s the basis of a good working relationship.

While a lot of the audience like me grappled with why Noyonika is still standing by her husband (Jisshu Sengupta) in season 1, there’s a scene with her brother in season 2 which gives us a peak into what her own childhood and relationship with parents were like. Did you know this backstory when you did season 1?

No, I didn’t, actually. That scene came later. But when you’re playing a character as complex, grey, and human as Noyonika — who’s making decisions to the best of her abilities and taking care of herself and her two children as well — you work with the assumption that it’s a character who would’ve come from some form of struggle. She couldn’t have built so much grit having not done anything in her life.

Jisshu Sengupta and Kajol in The Trial season 2.

There’s a monologue in season 2, in which you deliver an impassioned rant in Marathi about how the outsiders have also embraced Mumbai and made it their home. What does the city mean to you, personally?

Mumbai means everything, really! It’s the heart of the world, more than just India, for me at least. It’s the most amazingly cosmopolitan city I’ve ever been to. Mumbaikars don’t have any caste, creed, and religion, who go out and help others in problematic times. You are one of this huge mass of people who reside here, irrespective of whether you’re wearing a sari, salwar suit or jeans.

Has anyone assumed you’re a Bengali who wouldn’t know Marathi, going by your name?

Yeah, the Bengalis assume I’m a Bengali and the Maharashtrians assume I’m a Marathi. Punjabis think I’m Punjabi. After watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), I’ve had truck drivers smiling at me and saying, “Oye! Humari kudi hai” (Hey, that’s our girl!) (laughs). So ya, I have a varied appeal.

You were recently felicitated by the Maharashtra government, and were accompanied by your mother Tanuja. What have you learnt from her and her lineage about the Marathi culture?

What have I not learnt! It’s a part of me, so it’s not something I can put a pin on. But I’ll definitely say that a lot of my common sense comes from that side of my family (laughs)!

Tanuja and Kajol.

We saw a viral clip of Tanuja whistling at the event as you cheer on. That reminded me of your character Anjali in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), in which you whistle for your son when he’s on stage. We could hear you hoot and cheer quite audible at your daughter Nysa Devgan’s graduation recently. How was that moment like?

(Laughs) In my defence, I’d like to say that I didn’t know it was being aired live across the world at that point of time. I really thought it was a closed room, and nobody would hear me. But yes, why not! I’m not embarrassed by it. Our children need to know they’re cheered on loudly and we’ll always stand behind them and support them in whatever they do. It was huge because they make it into such a big deal there! They put a red carpet where everybody gets dressed up. So, it becomes a big deal for everyone involved, like it was for us.

We’ve already established that she doesn’t want to be an actor like her parents. But do you think her decision also stems from the burden of your lineage?

I think that’s her personal decision, really. If she ever sits in this chair in front of you, you can definitely ask her that.

Kajol with daughter Nysa Devgan.

I ask because even your longtime co-star Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan has decided to not follow in his father’s footsteps and become a filmmaker instead. In fact, his directorial debut The Ba***ds of Bollywood drops a day before The Trial season 2 does. What’s your first memory of him? Did you see the filmmaker in him coming?

My first memory of Aryan is probably from Shah Rukh’s house at some point. Then maybe, on the sets of K3G (where he played the younger version of Shah Rukh’s character). Then of course, I’ve met him countless times over the years. I haven’t seen the series, but I know for a fact that he’s a very, very intelligent boy, and he’s put that intelligence to good use.

Coming back to The Trial, you also have an intense confrontation scene with Sonali Kulkarni. How is she as a scene partner?

We were all very excited about it. We were all like, “Oh my god! This scene is coming up, we’ve got to figure it out!” When you work with great actors, it becomes more about collaboration than competition. It works better when everyone is working for the scene. It’s a very interesting one. She’s really, really amazing! When you’re working with good actors, you can do your part more comfortably because you know the actor in front of you will reflect it well and make you shine even brighter.

Sonali Kulkarni and Kajol in The Trial season 2.

In the trailer, we see that you finally say the words “I want a divorce” with great hesitation yet relief. What emotions do those four words come with for a woman?

Noyonika has gone through so much by that point. You can see her arc from season 1 to season 2. Noyonika has had to balance so much for so long that it’s almost like a blow-up. It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back. You get so angry that you don’t know what to say before you come out with those words. You’ve realized what you’ve said only after you’ve said it. It’s a very interesting moment because the series has been building upto that moment. You’re wondering why she stays with him, why she’s so weak. It’s not weakness. It’s compromise, understanding of the world, and that feeling of protectiveness.

Umesh Bisht said you could always make out if he’s not happy with a shot of yours even if he didn’t say anything. Is that true?

Absolutely! As actors, we spend our whole lives only doing that, studying everybody’s body language and the vibe of the room. We’re studying micro expressions so that we can copy them and get paid for it (laughs). Umesh ji is a very fine director. There are good directors, bad directors, those in between, and then there are fine directors. He likes the layers — in scenes, people, and lines. I know what he wants from an actor. Sometimes, I’m not able to deliver. In that case, I have to surprise him.

While this is your first part 2, your husband Ajay Devgn is only doing sequels (Singham Again, Raid 2, Son of Sardaar 2, De De Pyaar De 2, Dhamaal 4). Is The Trial something you want to keep going back to?

(Laughs) Well, I hope so! Hopefully, at the end of season 2, we’ll be able to finalize season 3 as well. Touchwood! Aapke mooh mein ghee shakkar!

It’s 30 years of DDLJ next month! Do you think you can play Simran today or have you lost that innocence?

I think Simran was what, 18? I don’t think I’d play 18 again. Maybe for a flashback, with a lot of AI (laughs). I’d love to do another love story. I’d love to play a simpler character maybe. But I don’t think I’m Simran anymore. I’d play her very, very differently today. I don’t think it’s as much innocence. Innocence is always there. It can be acted out. It’s your perspective which has changed and shifted so much. It’s like once you’ve seen something, you can’t unsee it.

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Finally, your last release Sarzameen got a polarizing response because of that twist involving your character in the climax. Were you concerned that the twist could go either way, it could be a risk, could be a reward?

No, I didn’t. I never look at risks and rewards when I’m looking at a script. To me, it’s always about what I can do or can’t do with it. I thought it was an interesting twist to the end of the film. I probably wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for that twist in the film.