Kajol on her The Trial role: ‘It’s easier for me to play a strong woman than a coy character’

Ready for the release of The Trial – Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha - the much-anticipated legal and political drama series on Disney+ Hotstar - Kajol will be seen playing yet another strong woman on screen. Known for her performance in films like Baazigar, Dushman, Gupt and most recently Salaam Venky, The Trial will feature the acclaimed actress as a homemaker who decides to join a law firm after a break of 13 years, in order to support her family when her husband is sent to jail.  

Speaking during a recent interview with PTI, Kajol said that she has a penchant for essaying powerful female characters on screen. “To play a strong, powerful character is easier for me than to play a weak character. It is natural for me to be strong rather than to be vulnerable.” 

Directed by Suparn S Varma, The Trial is the Indian adaptation of the popular American series The Good Wife. In the show, Kajol will narrate the character of Noyonika Sengupta. 

Also read: Kajol reveals ‘The Trial’ was just the title of her upcoming web series; watch announcement video

“The great thing about Noyonika is that she is a strong person but when a strong person is put in a situation, where they are weakened and vulnerable, that’s a tough thing to play. It was one of the reasons why I love her as a character,” the actress said.

According to Kajol, she could relate to Noyonika’s way of dealing with difficult situations. “Suparn wanted me because she is a public figure and she is a mother of two kids. There are so many factors in her character. One thing I resonate a lot more with Noyonika is the core, she is an eminently practical woman. She will do what needs to be done, even if it hurts her sensibility. If she knows it needs to be done, she will do it for the good of the family. She will go ahead and do it because there’s nobody else to do it,” she elaborated.

As an actress, Kajol said she still finds it difficult to be coy in front of the camera. “I struggle with it… I don’t know how to be shy. I don’t know how to do ‘sharam’. I don’t understand the emotion. I haven’t found the right script. I really want to try comedy. I should because I do it so well in real-life.”

Also read: The Trial creator Suparn Varma: Kajol is a giving actor who is always present in the moment

Also starring Jisshu Sengupta, Kubbra Sait, Sheeba Chaddha, Alyy Khan and Gaurav Pandey, among others, The Trial is set to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on July 14. The series also marks Kajol’s long-format debut.