Two years after Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), Kajol is all set to be back to the big screen with Salaam Venky, an emotional drama based on a truly incredible story of a mother who fights through every challenge her son faces and helps him live life to the fullest.
At the launch event trailer of the film, which took place earlier today, the actor revealed that she had earlier refused to do the Revathy directorial as she thought that the story was no less than a parent’s ‘worst nightmare’.
“I refused the film for three days. I was like, ‘I am not doing this film, I don’t want do a film in which anything happens to my children.’ I cannot handle that. It’s every parents’ worst nightmare, you wouldn’t even wish this on your enemy, it’s that kind of a situation,” said the 48-year-old, who is also mother to two children – Nysa and Yug.
But it was Revathy who was instrumental in getting her on board the film. Kajol shared, “Revathy said, ‘Just think about it.’ I then spent ten minutes, being a full fan of Revathy ma’am. When you watch the film, you’ll realise who the real star of the film is — it’s her.”
Veteran actor Revathy had earlier directed Hindi films like Phir Milenge (2004) and Mumbai Cutting (2010). Impressed by her directorial instincts, Kajol revealed that she always wanted to work with the Margarita With A Straw (2015) and 2 States (2014) actor.
“When I had seen her first film, I had absolutely loved it. I had decided that if she ever approaches me for a film… of course, I don’t have the guts to say no to her as she would be the kind of director that I would love to work with. She has that ability to take a situation and make it something extraordinary, in the most positive way possible. It’s a serious topic which scares us. But she took this topic and took the fear out of that. The film is about the celebration of life,” stated the actor who was last seen in Tribhanga (2021).
So, what was Revathy’s reaction after Kajol eventually came around? “I had met Kajol to narrate it. She told me, ‘I’m listening to this because it’s you but I’m not going to do this film.’ I just smiled and told her that’s okay and to just listen. After the narration got over, Kajol said that she wants to sing that song and that the costume should be a certain way and I kept smiling. The mother and actor in her had accepted the film,” recalled the actor-filmmaker, who’s making a return to direction after 12 years.
Presented by Connekkt Media and produced by Suuraj Sinngh, Shraddha Agrawal and Varsha Kukreja under the banners BLIVE Productions and RTAKE Studios, Salaam Venky is set to release in cinemas on December 9, 2022. The film also stars Vishal Jethwa, Rahul Bose, Rajeev Khandelwal, Prakash Raj and Aahana S Kumra in pivotal roles.
