Prateek Tanmay
3 min readMumbaiJul 21, 2026 10:35 AM IST
Kajal Aggarwal has effortlessly balanced careers in both the Hindi and South film industries. In recent years, however, she has appeared in fewer Bollywood projects. During a podcast, Kajal explained why she has become more selective about signing Hindi films. The actor also reflected on how South cinema has evolved in its portrayal of women.
Kajal on why she chose South over Bollywood
After sharing screen space with some of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Kajal Aggarwal appeared poised for a successful career in Hindi cinema. Her 2016 film Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, co-starring Randeep Hooda, was also well received. However, she soon stepped away from Bollywood to focus on South films. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Kajal explained why she chose to become more selective about Hindi projects. “The quality of work I was getting down South was not something I was getting in Bollywood. The roles that I wanted – my priority was quality over quantity, and South was giving me such roles in abundance, so why would I do average roles in Bollywood? My priority was qualitative cinema. Language was never a barrier for me. I enjoy the craft of moviemaking. It took me seven movies to fall in love with my craft, but once I fell in love, I was very committed.”
Also Read: ‘A personal choice’: Kajal Aggarwal on judgment female actors face for ‘bold’ scenes
Kajal Aggarwal on lack of punctuality in Bollywood
Actors arriving late on set and holding up film shoots has long been commonplace in the Hindi film industry. Sharing her views on the issue, Kajal said punctuality is one thing Bollywood could learn from the South film industry. She said, “Bollywood should learn punctuality from the South. In Hindi films, nothing is on time. In the South, they work by the clock. I am used to reaching on time, and I like it that way. In Hindi, the timings are very off.”
When asked which star has made her wait the longest, Kajal recalled, “Salman Khan has made me wait the longest, and I was not used to it. I wondered what was happening. He came around afternoon or evening, so I would go to exercise in the gym, which was on set. I am used to the punctuality and discipline of South cinema.”
Kajal also reflected on how South cinema has evolved in its portrayal of women, saying “they are no longer obsessed with female navels.” “South is now learning to write liberal roles for female protagonists from Bollywood and also coming-of-age roles. They are no longer obsessed with female navels. I always drew the line and never did such roles. You are not throwing fruits on my navel, boss!” Kajal said.
On the work front, Kajal Aggarwal will be next seen in The India Story. She is also a part of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 1 and 2, where she will be playing the role of Mandodari.
