Kajol: I wanted to get out of my comfort zone for 'Dilwale'

Kajol is munching on a protein bar and chiding herself at the same time Shes running a tad late for her backtoback media interactions for her upcoming film Dilwale Interviews have been lined up at her buddy and Dilwale costar Shah Rukh Khans production house office She has been given a landmark mdash it is in the vicinity of a coffee place Now her other buddy filmmaker Karan Johars production house also has a coffee place in the vicinity So no prizes for guessing that the actress found herself near KJos place before veering towards SRKs I cant believe I got lost in Bandra Me being a Mumbai girl how can I not find my way she saysKajol PicNimesh DaveWearing a maxi dress her hair is tied up in an unkempt bun Her sunglasses are perched on her nose which come off at one point during the conversation Devoid of makeup except for the mascaraladen lashes the protein bar is holding her in good stead for the marathon media roundsShe warns us that she is not the type who will volunteer information You will have to ask me what exactly you want to know she asserts Straightforward and firm she does not flinch from answers but apologises every time the phone beeps for SMS alerts Excerpts from the interaction with the actressQ Over the years what significant change you see in yourselfA I can say that I have become a Dilwali Kajol Dilwali Thats quite a tonguetwister I have become more caring largehearted and giving what I wasnt earlier laughs But we all do change over the years isnt itQ You have been actively involved with social causes especially the Help A Child Reach 5 campaignA I have been propagating the importance of washing hands to reduce child mortality It is all about doing something very simple mdash washing hands with soap especially for mothers with infants India has the highest child mortality rate Awareness can go a long way in declining the alarming mortality rateQ It took five years after your last release to get back on screen againA Simply because I have a life beyond this My son Yug is five years old So this is the first film I am doing after he was born I dont like to work with people I do not like or I am not comfortable with I want to give my best so what is the point of doing something that I am not happy about I am financially stable so why not take advantage of itQ What prompted you to do Dilwale Was it because of your buddy Shah Rukh KhanA I took it up as a challenge I wanted to get out of my comfort zone for the film People consider me an emotional actress but here was my chance to be part of not only car chase sequences but also of cars flying in the air My son only likes the zooming car parts in the film while my daughter Nysa 12 thinks that being part of the Golmaal franchise was the best thing that her father Ajay Devgn did in his career So shes happy that I am doing a film on similar linesQ The current lot of actresses are in the number game vying for the numero uno position Does the number game affect you as wellA They have made a space for them and they are doing interesting work Its good for them But all this does not matter to me Remember I have a life beyond thisQ You have worked with relative newcomers Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in DilwaleA I would not go out of my way to mentor and tutor someone mdash the director has to do that I am a directors actress I want him to tell me exactly what to do While enacting a scene if required I will provide my inputs Varun was an AD during My Name Is Khan 2010 I did not know him then in the sense that I knew he was an AD and then suddenly I see him in Student of the Year 2012 as an actor Kriti is a sweet young girl But why do you ask Is there news floating about us Theres nothing to itQ How would you describe your decadesold association with Shah Rukh KhanA Everyone talks about Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995 but we did Baazigar 1993 before that So it has been over 22 years People talk about our onscreen chemistry but he is like a friend you have had for many years You can be yourself in front of that person There are no egos no formalities involved I am just me I can say whatever I wantQ Your hubby Ajay Devgn campaigned for the Bihar assembly polls last month What is your take on the current political climate in the countryA All of this is not for me I stay away from it and I dont know whats exactly going on J what she calls Ajay Devgn is into all this He shows interest in it not meQ How involved are you in his upcoming directorial venture ShivaayA I have been asking him to give me a small role in Shivaay I told him that even a small walkon part will do for me but he gave me a flat noQ There has been buzz that you will be part of one of his productionsA Yes that will happen around July next year We have yet to ascertain a director Only once J wraps up Shivaay will this project rollQ Do you harbour directorial aspirationsA No not at all at least not at this stage I have left that for J and would rather act with someone telling me what to do on screenQ What about the small screenA It has to be something that is novel and will excite me There is no point of being part of something just for the sake of it But then as they say never say never