Kajal Aggarwal on Returning to Work Post-Motherhood

In a recent interview, Kajal Aggarwal discussed the challenges of returning to work after motherhood and how she struggled while shooting for "Indian 2."

Work After Motherhood

Actor Kajal Aggarwal shared how her work approach changed after her son Neil's birth. In an interview with Prema, she revealed that she returned to the set of Shankar's "Indian 2," starring Kamal Haasan, just two months after giving birth. Shooting near Tirupati with a baby was difficult.

Kajal Aggarwal got married in 2020 and became a mother in 2022.

‘I would pump between shots’

Kajal revealed that she only took a break during her first trimester. She felt lost without work, having started working at 16. She even shot an advertisement at home shortly after giving birth due to a commitment.

“I shot for 'Indian 2' just two months postpartum. I was horse riding and doing kalarippayattu; it was extremely painful. Shankar sir was very understanding and tried to adjust my schedule, but I had to finish the film. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I took my baby along when we shot near Tirupati because I was still feeding him. I would pump between shots and send milk back to his room,” she said.

‘I took therapy because I was anxious’

Kajal also couldn’t stop crying and had separation anxiety, wondering if she was a bad mom. She sought professional help to deal with it.

“You feel bad, insecure, scared, nervous, you feel all of that intensely. I took therapy to cope and was on anti-depressants when it was safe to take them. Marriage didn’t change much, but motherhood changed me. Having a baby is challenging. I prioritize my family; everything else comes later. My husband Gautam can always reach me, no matter how busy I am. I’ve kept that from day one,” she added.

About "Indian 2"

"Indian 2," with the tagline Zero Tolerance, has been in production since 2019. Kamal will reprise his role as Senapathy. The sequel to the 1996 film "Indian" will also feature Kajal, Siddharth, and Rakul Preet Singh in lead roles. Production paused after a 2020 accident injured the crew. The COVID-19 pandemic also delayed shooting. Filming resumed in 2022, with Shankar juggling shoots between this and "Game Changer," starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani. Initially set for a June release, the producers moved the release to July 12.