Kajol praises the intent behind Alpha, says women in Bollywood are finally getting stronger roles as fresh updates also emerge on Ranbir Kapoor’s post-Ramayana plans.
At a time when Bollywood continues to debate the commercial viability of women-led big-budget films, actress Kajol has come forward in support of Alia Bhatt and Sharvari’s Alpha.
While the YRF Spy Universe film failed to live up to expectations at the box office, Kajol believes the film deserves appreciation simply for attempting something that Hindi cinema rarely does mounting a large-scale action entertainer led by female protagonists.
Speaking to Hindustan Times on the occasion of her birthday, Kajol called the concept of Alpha “absolutely fantastic” and emphasized that Bollywood is slowly moving towards giving women stronger and more meaningful roles instead of treating them merely as supporting characters.
Kajol: ‘The Idea Was Absolutely Fantastic’, Reacting to Alpha, Kajol said that regardless of the film’s box office outcome, she admired the vision behind it.
“You have a film like Alpha that’s come out, which is an action film. I think the idea of it was absolutely fantastic.”
Yash Raj Films produced the movie under its ambitious Spy Universe, and the makers attempted to break the long-standing belief that action spectacles need male superstars to attract audiences. Although audiences gave mixed reactions and the film struggled commercially, Kajol believes the industry needs such experiments to evolve.
Women Are Finally Getting Better Roles – Kajol also spoke about how female representation in mainstream Bollywood has changed over the years.
“We’re definitely moving in the right direction when it comes to women-led stories. They’re writing better characters for women. They are giving women more of a chance to be more than just a side plot, which I feel is a good trend that we’re going towards,” she said.
Films such as Gangubai Kathiawadi, Raazi, Mimi, Crew, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway and several OTT productions have demonstrated that female-centric stories can attract audiences when compelling writing backs them.
However, filmmakers still rarely build high-budget action franchises around female stars. A Brave Attempt That Divided Audiences Director Shiv Rawail helmed Alpha, which featured Alia Bhatt and Sharvari as elite agents operating within YRF’s expanding Spy Universe.
Even so, Alpha could encourage studios to continue investing in women-led action films rather than abandoning the genre after one setback. Kajol’s comments appear to echo the same sentiment. She revealed that she has always selected films based on instinct rather than commercial calculations.
“I’ve always selected projects that appealed to me, characters that made me feel I could do something with them. That hasn’t changed. But yes, I want to experiment. I want to try new things and do things that I probably haven’t done before.”
Kajol further explained that she immediately rejects scripts that fail to emotionally convince her.
“If I’m not convinced by a character in the beginning, I don’t do the film. If you can’t convince me, then I won’t be doing it.”
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Her filmography over nearly three decades reflects this philosophy, with performances spanning romance, drama, thrillers, family entertainers and, more recently, streaming projects. Speaking about her birthday celebrations, she revealed that her children always make time to be with her regardless of their schedules.
“My daughter Nysa studies abroad, but everybody in my family makes it a point to keep that day free. I really appreciate that.”
The actress described these family moments as one of the most special aspects of her birthday every year. Is Bollywood Finally Ready for Female-Led Action Spectacles? Kajol replied that Hollywood has experimented with such films for years through franchises featuring Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Kill Bill, Salt, Atomic Blonde and others.
In India, however, large-scale action films continue to revolve primarily around male stars. Alpha represented an important attempt to change that equation. Although its commercial performance may not have met expectations, the industry appears hopeful that better scripts and stronger execution could eventually establish women-led action films as a viable mainstream genre.
ALSO READ: Ranbir Kapoor Looking for a Film Between Ramayana Part 2 and Animal Park
According to KBP REVIEW reports, Ranbir Kapoor is actively searching for a new project that he can begin after completing Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 2 and before Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal Park.
Sources close to Ranbir say he is reading multiple scripts across genres, while giving priority to projects that he can complete within a limited shooting window before Animal Park enters production. At present, his immediate commitments remain packed.
The actor is expected to finish promotional activities for Ramayana Part 1, continue work on Ramayana Part 2, and later reunite with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga for the much-awaited sequel to Animal.
Several leading filmmakers have approached Ranbir over the past few months, including discussions around large-scale commercial entertainers as well as content-driven dramas.
However, no one has made an official announcement regarding his next standalone project. Ramayana is expected to redefine Indian historical cinema on a global scale, while Animal Park remains one of the most anticipated sequels after the blockbuster success of Animal.
Choosing the right project between these two massive films could help Ranbir maintain momentum without overexposing himself. So we believe an official announcement regarding his next film may arrive in the coming months once scheduling discussions are finalized.
