Kajol’s upcoming horror film Maa is all about how a mother gives everything to save her daughter. At the trailer launch of Maa, Kajol was asked a question about motherhood and the need for 8-hour work shifts for mothers, when Ajay Devgn interrupted his wife.
His behaviour, particularly his interruption, has faced significant backlash online.
Kajol, who headlines the film, was present on stage with her husband, Ajay Devgn, when a journalist asked her a thoughtful question about motherhood and how the film industry could be more supportive of new mothers. The 50-year-old actress is herself a mother of two, daughter Nysa and son Yug.
The journalist, perhaps expecting an answer rooted in personal experience, even recalled that Kajol had worked on My Name Is Khan when her daughter was just a year old.
But before Kajol could fully respond, Ajay took the mic and said, “Sorry to interrupt”—and then proceeded to do exactly that. As many on the internet pointed out, he began to mansplain.
What Ajay said wasn’t necessarily the issue—it was how he said it, and the fact that he felt the need to say it at all.
The question was asked by a woman, directed to a woman who had firsthand experience on the subject. The internet was quick to question: why did Ajay feel the need to step in and speak on behalf of his wife?
The point isn’t just about when to speak—it’s about knowing when not to. One can always support or contribute to a woman’s response without denying her the opportunity to speak in the first place. But taking over, claiming the spotlight and reducing the woman to a silent, awkward bystander is what happens in an environment still plagued by unequal power dynamics.
For years, women have been interrupted, spoken over, or explained to by men, often about their own lived experiences. It’s been happening for so long, it’s been normalised. Which is why so few people noticed anything wrong in the moment—and that is the real problem.
