Usually busy with three films per year, Kajal A Kitchlu is currently on a maternity break. The Singham actress gave birth to a baby boy, on April 19, who she and her husband Gautam Kitchlu named Neil. The new mom is excited to celebrate her first Mother's Day today. Kajal opens up about motherhood, working through her pregnancy and how she plans to find her way through all the stress that comes with being a new mother. Excerpts:

This Mother’s Day is definitely special for obvious reasons. I plan to spend the day with all the mothers in my life, like my mom, sister, sister-in-law and mother-in-law. It is going to be a lovely family dinner. I will take the opportunity to express my undying love profusely to my mother. I hope to be a mother like my mom. My sister and I bond with her like her best friends.

I have always seen my sister, who has one son and my sister-in-law, who has a son and a daughter, be hands-on mothers. They have inspired me, but experiencing it yourself is a different ball game. It is amazing to spend time with your nephews and nieces because you hang out with them, and then they are their parents’ responsibility (laughs!). But as a mother, you have to take responsibility of your baby. On a serious note, I never imagined motherhood to be so beautiful. It’s literally like having your soul walk outside your body. It’s like a part of your soul and the biggest part of your heart in a physical form. From here on, I only want to be the best version of myself in every aspect possible to take care of my child.

My due date was May 5, but I started experiencing contractions on April 18. I was about to go for my routine stroll in the park and do cardio. I didn’t realise that I was getting into labour… it felt like regular pain, which would pass off. But soon, I was rushed to the hospital. You are so prepared for this day as you read and watch a lot about it. Through the nine hours of labour, I was chanting and taking mini naps. Then, the minute the baby was born, it felt surreal. They kept him on my chest. I was extremely overwhelmed. I am happy that it was a normal delivery. I was aiming and hoping for that as I had worked towards it quite a bit.

Physically, as we all know, giving birth is a painful process. Healing does take time. But then, women are very resilient. When you are in that situation, you understand what you and your body are capable of. So, regardless of the difficulties, it happens in a natural flow, and nature takes over. I am at my mom’s home now, and I have been indulging in all the traditional therapies, including massages, sauna, and eating healthy food. Mentally, the whole process has just made me stronger, more compassionate, selfless and a more loving human being. It also makes you more responsible. It’s an instant switch as you develop a natural maternal instinct. You change as a person and are far more mindful and careful and far more selfless in a way. About postpartum depression, thankfully, I haven’t experienced that so far. Thoughts about how you will bounce back crop up only when you are feeding your child alone at night or when you are alone in your room. So, every time I start thinking about how I can lose my extra weight or get back to work, I turn to my family. Every new mom is bound to be anxious about whether she is taking care of her child in the right manner. The only way to fight this stress is to have a strong core community around you to support you. And it does take a village to raise a child. Just find your strength in your village. That’s the only way to do it.

I was working till two days before my delivery. The last thing I shot for was a TV commercial. Whether you think it’s easy or difficult depends on how you perceive it. Yes, physically, it was challenging to work through the pregnancy. So, I participated in certain classes, and I did an entire parenting workshop with a renowned counsellor. I was also doing Iyengar yoga and cardio. I wanted to be ready in a way where I felt I was prepared to become a mom and, at the same time, work as an artiste. Nothing is simple and you have to work towards what you want to do. I hope to start working again in August. But if it takes longer, I will extend my maternity break, as my child is my number one priority.

My husband and I shortlisted a lot of names over several months. We wanted a name that would be short and easy to pronounce. I always wanted a name based on either Lord Shiva or Lord Krishna. Neil is derived from Neelkanth, which is one of Lord Shiva’s names. We loved it and decided to go ahead with it.

Recently, there was a strong buzz that Kajal Aggarwal aka Kajal A Kitchlu was expecting her first child. However, the actress, who tied the knot with businessman Gautam Kitchlu in a low-key ceremony last year, says, “I would not like to talk about it right now. I will talk about it when the time is right.”

Kajal does, however, add that seeing her sister, Nisha, who manages being a mother very well, encourages her to become a mother soon. “It gets me excited, but at the same time, it makes me nervous, too. I have seen how her life has changed and how complete she feels now. I think motherhood is a wonderful feeling. I feel one goes through self-realisation in that phase of life. Having said that, I must say I already feel like a mother in the company of my two nephews, Ishaan and Kabir. And now with Mia (their pet dog) entering in our life, Gautam and I already feel like parents. I just feel that there’s this whole new part of my heart that I never discovered before these babies entered my life. I am sure that when I have my own child, it is going to increase that emotion a lot more.”

Last month, Kajal and Gautam celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Talking about how life has changed post marriage, she says, “It’s strange that I am far busier now than I earlier was (laughs!). Well, it’s a great thing and I am happy about it. I am glad that people in our industry are not stereotyping anymore and are accommodating of one’s personal choices. I am thankful to Gautam who’s very supportive of me and my work. He is extremely encouraging. Usually, we two focus on our respective careers. It is only during dinner table conversations that we discuss work. He gives me honest feedback. When he doesn’t like something, he just lets me know.”

Meanwhile, on the professional front, after being seen in films like Singham and Special 26, Kajal is all set to play a protagonist in her next Bollywood venture, Uma. Interestingly, her look in the film resembles the iconic character Mary Poppins. Talking about the project, Kajal says, “It is a story about this mysterious girl. No one knows where she came from and where she goes. One fine day, she comes home to a family and changes their lives. It is a feel-good happy family drama. The look does remind one of Mary Poppins, but it is not similar to it. The story is quite different.”

Shedding more light on her character, Kajal says, “I play the role of a nurse. She is more of a caregiver than a typical nurse in a uniform. My director, Tathagata Singha, and I had several brainstorming sessions to make the character look different, be it in terms of the appearance, her mannerisms and even style of talking. We wanted her to look unique, but relatable to the audience. Since the film is set in Kolkata, she has a streak of Bengali culture in her.”

While this is the first time she plays a protagonist in a Hindi film, Kajal says that she has done many such projects down south. “But I am glad to be diversifying in other languages, too. We have seen women oriented films that are dark or serious, but this one is set in a happy zone,” she ends.

Kajal Aggarwal has a lot of “messy” childhood memories of Holi. But now, the actor is looking forward to creating some new ones with her husband Gautam Kitchlu as she gets ready to celebrate her first Holi after marriage.

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic might have taken the fun out of celebrations, but not the essence. Aggarwal says they will be making the most of the day with their family and close friends, while taking all the precautions.

“This year, it is going to be a rather quiet Holi. We will do lunch with the family, a puja and then apply some organic colour on each other, and enjoy thandai and kachoris,” Aggarwal says.

It was amid the Coronavirus pandemic last year when Aggarwal started a new chapter of her life by getting married to her long-time boyfriend Kitchlu in a lavish wedding ceremony on October 30. And the actor says being together on special occasions makes them memorable.

“Every festival is special especially when it’s the first after marriage. We are excited to be celebrating it together and will be hosting some friends as well, after everyone’s tested, including us,” says the actor.

Ask her about the Holi traditions, and she says, “The burning of the Holika and playing messy Holi are our childhood memories and traditions, and I hope to do this soon. My special memories have to be the rain dance Holi parties with my friends and eating yummy food with my family. And, also, waking my cousins up early in the morning by throwing colour and water balloons when they are in bed,” she says, adding that it was all about “who does it first”, which many times meant waking up early to outwit the others.

“We used to happily wake up at 5am, on a holiday, just to do this. These are some of my favourite memories for sure,” says the actor, known for featuring in Live Telecast, Magadheera (2009) and Singham (2011).

While this year, she has an intimate celebration planned, she hopes to unite with her loved ones to enjoy the festival of colours next year.

“This pandemic has made it difficult to meet family and friends and we will miss celebrating with everyone we love but hopefully, next year everything will get normal,” she ends on a hopeful note.

Marriage changes everything, they say. It’s certainly turned Kajal Aggarwal’s social media feed on its head. From being someone who has been extremely reserved about her personal life, Kajal seems to have turned a corner ever since she tied the knot with Gautam Kitchlu in a traditional wedding in Mumbai on October 30. The pictures that she’s been sharing — be it from their wedding festivities, housewarming party, Diwali celebrations or their honeymoon in Maldives — have been a rage on social media. We wonder if the actress is enjoying not having to worry about keeping things under wraps any more? “Well, it feels great to go from Ms Aggarwal to Mrs Kitchlu,” says Kajal, laughing.

The actress, however is quick to add that unlike their fairytale-like photoshoots, her relationship with Gautam was serious and stable. “We’ve known each other for a long time and have been friends for the past eight years. More than the movies-like romance, our relationship has been stable, mature and healthy and we have grown together consistently over the years. In the end, getting married to each other just felt like the most natural progression,” she says.

Although Kajal and Gautam discussed the idea of settling down together, the actress admits that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown sped things up. “We’ve known it for a while that we wanted to spend the rest of our life together, but the lockdown speeded up the process exponentially,” says Kajal, adding, “We got together and had a very earnest, heart-to-heart conversation envisaging a future together and decided to take it forward. Gautam was very conventional — he first took the permission of my parents. Then he went down on one knee and popped the question. It was so authentic, real and sincere. I found it adorable and unforgettable.”

Kajal’s real life romance may not be like the way it is in her movies, but the actress says her husband does enjoy watching her films. “He’s seen a few of my Tollywood films. Magadheera, Sita, Vivegam and Nene Raju Nene Mantri are his current favourites,” she says, with a laugh.

While the lockdown may have helped them get married sooner than expected, planning a wedding during the lockdown was a pretty huge task, shares Kajal. “It wasn’t easy for sure. We got everyone tested for COVID-19 and all the outstation guests were quarantined. Each and every vendor got tested. Every step and every decision took way longer than it would have normally. Thankfully, the wedding went by smoothly and it was a truly special day,” she says, adding that she hopes to have a reception for friends and family who they couldn’t host during the wedding.

Post her wedding, Kajal and Gautam moved into their new home in Mumbai, where they celebrated their first Diwali as a married couple recently. “It was very special indeed. We spent it with family. We had a puja at office and then a puja at home. We visited cousins and hosted a fabulous dinner at our place. Although Gautam and I had celebrated Diwali as friends before, this was the first time we were together the whole time. It was also our Diwali party at our new home. We played cards and made merry, it was perfect,” she recalls.

After the wedding of her dreams, Kajal had a lovely honeymoon soaking up the sun and admiring the blue ocean waters in Maldives. “We got ourselves tested upon departure and arrival both ways. We spent our honeymoon at a lovely resort island in Maldives. It was magical,” she says.

Kajal, who is all set to commence shoot for megastar Chiranjeevi-starrer Acharya next week, signs off saying, “As I enter a new phase in my life, I wish for health, love, the ability to hang in there and mental hygiene for our loved ones and those all around us.”

The minute you walk into Kajal Aggarwal's cosy nest in the city, you feel calm. It's partly because the entire house is done up in white. Ask her if she considers it her lucky colour - she wears white in the introduction scenes in most of her films, including her biggest hits Magadheera and Singham -and she promptly says, “I don't believe any colour in particular can bring good luck. I think it's just a coincidence that I was introduced in white costumes. That said, the colour is very soothing. So, my house is all white.“ Her third film in Bollywood - Deepak Tijori's Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, which has her starring opposite Randeep Hooda - is set to hit screens on June 10. The actress talks to BT about her chemistry with Randeep, how she juggles careers in Bollywood, Tamil and Telugu industries and why she finds it difficult to shift base here from south, where she has a huge body of work.

With your third film in B-Town up for release, have you started feeling butterflies in your stomach?
After Singham and Special 26, this is a big release for me in Bollywood. I'm slightly nervous, but I'm more excited. It's a great story and working with Randeep was fab. My character is meaty and I had a beautiful time playing Jenny. I saw the Korean film (Always), from which this one is inspired and it made me want to do the Hindi version with all the more passion.

How did you land the role?
The makers wanted someone who wasn't too exposed in the Hindi industry, but at the same time, was experienced. I've done my share of big films in the south and this worked to my advantage. They wanted someone who looked innocent (smiles) and I guess I fit the part well. But, my character is visually impaired, so, prepping for the role wasn't easy. I've done my bit of homework, met people and rehearsed a lot to portray the character.

You learnt Braille in the process...
Yes, just the basics and trust me, it's a difficult system to learn. When you are younger, your fingers are nimble and sensitive to the different dots in the system. But as you get older, it's difficult to differentiate between them. I visited a centre for the visually challenged as part of my preparation to understand the lifestyle of the people there. Did you know that visually-impaired people have gadgets especially made for them? They have their own cell phone, microwave and typewriters. They follow a set pattern to walk and it's called assisted walking; they hold on to a stick or another person, and that too, with their right hand because it's easier to maneuver. I also read a lot of Hellen Keller books.

How difficult is it to act when you can see everything, but have to pretend that you can't?
This is the first time I'm playing a differently-abled person. And portraying visual impairment is difficult. I can see what's going on, but I have to act like I can see nothing. And this can be quite a challenge. I wanted my eyes to look blank, but at the same time I had to be careful about not looking expressionless. So, I tried seeing with each eyeball on either side. Hopefully, it's worked and people will notice it.

Did rumours of the film being shelved affect you, given that this is your first Bollywood release in almost three years?
There were a lot of production issues, but the movie wasn't shelved. It was just pushed to a further date. I was busy with my other projects, so it didn't worry me because I knew we would get the best possible date for its release.

Your chemistry with Randeep is sizzling and your lip-lock was the talk of social media...
He is a powerhouse performer and the best thing about him is that he is honest in the way he talks, acts and in every sphere of his life. He is passionate about his craft and that shows in whatever he does on screen. We shared a great camaraderie. We used to pull each other's leg and just to trouble the crew, we fought before every romantic scene. Another thing I remember is that every time we prepared to film a crucial scene, it would start raining. And we had to deal with rains in Malaysia, which are torrential most of the time. So, we would run to a café nearby and sip on hot coffee, waiting for the downpour to stop. Deepak (who was the director) would initially fret, but soon he got into the groove.

You've worked with Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and now, Randeep. Who do you find hotter?
It's so difficult to choose. All three are blessed with brain, brawn, personality and talent.

Bollywood is known to be a tough industry to survive in. Do you feel your juggling act (between south and Hindi films) could cost you some good roles on both sides?
No, not at all. Balancing my career between two industries has never been an issue. I started with a Telugu film and have a soft corner for the south industry, though I've grown up speaking Hindi. I don't think language can be a barrier when it comes to acting.And, since I come from a theatre background, I'm used to memorising my lines. So, I get to choose what I want to do.

However, not many heroines from down south have been able to balance both industries with as much success?
I'm very loyal to my south fans and the industry there. So, it's hard for me leave all the love, respect and admiration and shift base here. I'm a Mumbai girl and have lived here for most of my life. At the same time, I've spent 10 years of my life in the south and feel like a south Indian at heart. Even if I'm comfortable, and I know everyone in Bollywood, I can't just leave behind my roots. It's not easy to migrate to another industry. So, my contemporaries and I are trying our best to strike a balance. This way, we get to enjoy the best of both the worlds.

No one remembers her from Samir Karnik's 2004 romance Kyun! ho Gaya Na... in which she played Aishwarya Rai's sister, Riya. For many, Kajal Aggarwal made her Bollywood debut opposite Ajay Devgn in the Rohit Shetty-directed cop drama, Singham, seven years later. And despite the film's super success, she disappeared down South, only to reappear as Akshay Kumar's leading lady in the heist thriller, Special 26 in 2013, followed by another two-year hibernation. Why this game of hide-and-seek?

Speaking to Mirror from Ooty, where she's filming the Tamil Telugu bilingual, Brahmotsavam, with Mahesh Babu, the 30-year-old actress points out that even down South, she's always opted for quality over quantity. “In this industry it's easy to get typecast and I've been careful even with my Tamil and Telugu films. Special 26 was not a substantial role in terms of screen time but I fell in love with the script immediately,“ says Kajal, who is gearing up for another comeback with Deepak Tijori's intense love story, Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, next year. “I play a blind girl or rather because of a disorder, she suffers from poor sight. So while Randeep (Hooda) trained in martial arts, I went to a Blind School and studied Braille.“

So, will the disappearing acts continue? “I hope not,“ she laughs, huffing and puffing on the treadmill. “I'd like to strike a balance between Bollywood and the South. After all, Hindi is my language and I am a South Mumbai girl.“