After months of speculations and countless guesses, it has been finally revealed that who is going to play the iconic character of Komolika on Star Plus’ popular show Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Balaji Telefilms’ head honcho Ekta Kapoor has roped in Aamna Sharif to play the antagonist on the show.
Aamna Sharif replaces Hina Khan. The latter opted out of the show earlier this year to explore avenues in Bollywood. With Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Sharif is staging a comeback to television after a huge gap of six years. Her last television show was Hongey Judaa Na Hum, which aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
Confirming her entry in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Sharif said, “The reason for the break was the need to reinvent my personal life. It would have been easy to stay in my comfort zone and come back with a love story, but that would not have satiated me as an actor. It’s always a different kind of rush to surprise your audience. So, when I was offered the role of Komolika, I instinctively knew that this is what will challenge me the most as an actor.”
Over the last few weeks, several names have been doing the rounds for the role of Komolika, including Gauahar Khan, Karishma Tanna and Aalisha Pawar. But surprising everyone, Ekta Kapoor picked Aamna Sharif for the role.
Interestingly, it was Ekta only who introduced Aamna Sharif with her immensely popular show Kahiin Toh Hoga, which ran for five years and made the actress a household name. The actress has also done a couple of films including Aloo Chaat (2009) and Ek Villain (2014). She will next be seen in Maddock Films’ horror-comedy Roohi-Afza, co-starring Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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