Mom's guilt is hard; it never goes away'

Many parents agree that balancing responsibilities towards their children and families along with their career is challenging. While some find it overwhelming, others experience the ‘fear of missing out’ on a child’s growing up years. “Who doesn’t want to be part of their child’s everyday activities?” asks actress Kajal. “Mom’s guilt is hard and will never go away. I think it’s something many working women experience,” says the Indian 2 star, who is also a doting mother.

Kajal says she has made a conscious effort to cut down her work considerably because she wants to spend more time looking after her son Neil. “Earlier, I used to do 6-8 films in a year, but now I am taking up only 50 per cent of that. I don’t want to compromise on the quality of my work either,” she shares. “I like to do everything personally for my baby,” she adds.

The actress says she is able to strike a work-life balance because of the choices she makes. “Honestly, there's no concept of balance in my industry, as we work round-the-clock. But it’s the choices that one makes that provides the balance,” she says. While acknowledging that saying ‘No’ to films did hurt her professionally, she stresses that “when I choose to work for a film, and have to take time to stay away from my kid, that hurts too.”

She is able to manage work and personal life because of the strong support provided by her husband and mother, says Kajal. “Sometimes it gets extremely challenging. But when you are a working mom, you need to create that balance. Luckily, my mom travels with me, and I keep checking on my baby during lunch breaks. It is difficult, but I guess every woman has to work around it.” The actress is trying to be as different and versatile as she can. She says her role as psychologist Kathyayini in the Balakrishna-starrer Bhagavanth Kesari will add to her repertoire. “It’s a funny yet intelligent character. Although I am not the primary lead, what attracted me was the concept of women empowerment and making a girl child stronger. And it’s great to see a superstar like Balakrishna Sir endorsing women empowerment. I feel that’s the need of the hour in society. And I am sure more stars will promote such ideas.” Talking of versatility, Kajal will be seen as a narrow-minded cop in another film, Sathyabhama. She says it’s a role that’ll surprise the audience and also take her to the next level as an actor.

She acknowledges that preparation for her roles does take a toll on her body, especially after her confinement. In fact, her son was just two months old when she started shooting for the Kamal Haasan-starrer Indian 2. “I was still nursing my baby when I started shooting,” she reveals. “But as an actress that’s what you have to do, for the love of the craft.”