As someone who started acting when she was just a teenager, actress Katrina Kaifsays she is very driven and competitive but over the years, she has learned to enjoy the "wonderful journey" she has had in Hindi cinema.
There are many films that helped her grow, says Katrina, who completed 20 years in Bollywood this year. She counts New York, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Raajneeti, Singh is Kinng, Namastey London, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Zero among major milestones in her career.
"I've been really fortunate and because I’m such a driven person, I’m constantly looking around me. You compare yourself; it is but natural because if you are a very driven and competitive person you never rest with yourself, you are always pushing yourself... But sometimes I remind myself to take that moment and think and appreciate that I’ve been given so much and I’ve earned it as well. It has been a wonderful journey that I’m very grateful for,” Kaif told PTI in an interview.
The 40-year-old actress, who started as a model before making her movie debut in 2003 with Boom, has had enviable filmography by starring in movies such as Namastey London, Partner, Welcome, and Singh Is Kinng.
Her latest release is Tiger 3, co-starring Salman Khan and Emraan Hashmi, and has earned over £40 million worldwide in nine days. It is directed by Maneesh Sharma and backed by Yash Raj Films.
The actor said she has always been "obsessive" about her work to the point where it has become her identity. She also said she finds acting to be an extremely demanding career.
"I believe personally it’s the demand of the profession, (that) you have to be consumed with your craft as an actor. If you are not consumed with the film, I think the gap shows somewhere on screen. Also, I think it’s my nature. I'm very obsessive about things when it comes to my work, I get consumed by it so much, that people have to tell me, ‘Go home, everyone’s tired now’.
"I guess my work has been my identity. I started when I was very young. Before I was 17 years old, I had started my career and when something gives you your identity then that becomes part of your core, that becomes who you are. You are always tuned and trained to kind of inherently fight for that and protect that," she added.
Katrina said she is excited for the future and what it holds for her as an actress.
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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