Mom is the word

KAJOL CHATS ABOUT MOTHERHOOD, CAREER AND MORE WITH SUMAN SHARMA

Kajol’s character in her forthcoming film Salaam Venky is inspired by a real life braveheart mother K Sujatha, who lost her son, Kolavennu Venkatesh, to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in 2004. He wished to donate his organs before his death and for that, his mother even filed a petition in the Supreme Court for the right to grant him euthanasia. The film is based on his inspiring tale of living your life to the fullest in the face of true adversity. It took a huge amount of emotional toll on Kajol to do the role. She says it’s one of the most satisfying roles of her life. She talks about working with director Revathi, the bond she shares with her kids and mother, what being a mom has taught her, and how she’s in the best phase of her life both personally and professionally. Excerpts:

You have played a sensitive, doting mother several times; how different is it in Salaam Venky?

I have always played a fictional mother, so it's always been a character that someone's written.

This was actually a real mother, so I had this added responsibility of meeting the person and knowing that she is someone who is there in real life. And that adds a certain amount of responsibility to your shoulders. Then you can't take too many cinematic liberties in playing that character. That is the main difference between fictional characters and real people.

We've heard that you initially didn't want to do the film.