“Actor. Entrepreneur. Co-Founder of Marsala. Dreamer. Traveller. Foodie.” reads Kajal Aggarwal’s bio on her brand new Twitter account, started earlier this month. In person, one can add down-to-earth and effortlessly stylish to the list.
Walking into the launch of Gap’s first store in Chennai at Phoenix MarketCity, as OMI’s ‘Cheerleader’ played in the background, she looks the part: short blue romper dress, faded denim jacket and white sneakers, paired with light candy pink lips and hair in beachy waves. The crowd goes wild, hooting and cheering while trying to get a good photo of her for bragging rights. After a long-ish wait, that’s how us journalists know that she has arrived. But she’s sweet, greeting everyone and telling one of the girls present that her asymmetrical haircut is “very cool and edgy”.
Clearly, Kajal is at ease in casuals even at a public event. Her real-life style is closer to the one she sported as Nisha in Thuppaki. “I’m all about casual, chic, style and comfort, much like the brand I’m representing. I believe that fashion should first be comfortable; you should wear it like your own skin and be comfortable in whatever you’re wearing. Only then can you carry it off really well,” she says.
This is reflected in her style icons as well. While she can’t pick one particular person, there are quite a few things she likes about certain people. “I like Cara Delevingne for her spunk and spontaneity and don’t-give-a-damn attitude. She wears her style very confidently. I like Miranda Kerr; I think she is stunning and has a great sense of style. She pairs up her clothes really well and I love the way she uses denims.”
“When it comes to my style sensibility, it’s more about dressing for the occasion. But generally, I love my denims. Casual chic with sneakers on: just how you see me right now. A well-fitted pair of jeans is everything for me.” Perhaps that’s why it tops the list of favourite pieces from her wardrobe. “Staples, like a white shirt, are extremely important. A nice denim jacket or throw is essential, especially when I’m travelling — I tend to feel very cold on flights! Apart from that, a sexy black dress, and a really good pair of stilettos, hopefully in all colours. Because who can ever have enough shoes, right?” she laughs. It’s good to know that stars are not above such base desires for all the footwear in the world!
Kajal takes a very hands-on approach to the look of all her on-screen characters. “The costumes can make or break the character. And I’m extremely involved with my stylists and designers and I work very closely with them. We try and stick to the brief and the guidelines of the character as much as possible.” After a pause, she adds, “Not just as much as possible, we truly stick to it! I’m as involved with my costumes as I am with my acting and expressions.”
Her latest film Brahmotsavam is currently in theatres. “I have another release coming up on June 10, called Do Lafzon Ki Kahani ,” she says. In the movie directed by Deepak Tijori, Kajal plays a visually challenged girl. She rubbishes rumours that co-star Randeep Hooda spontaneously kissed her during the shooting of the film. “We’re all professionals, and everything is scripted, spoken about and planned. Nothing like that can happen without talking about it beforehand.”
She’s also working on a couple of films in Kollywood: “I am currently working on Kavalai Vendam with Jiiva. And, I’m going to be starting my next Tamil film with Vikram very soon,” she signs off.
