Kajal Aggarwal has spoken about how deeply the script of ‘The India Story’ affected her emotionally. She shared that it left her unsettled and made her question the reality of food adulteration in the country. The actress recently admitted to several sleepless nights after learning about the subject, adding that working on the film brought disturbing facts to light she hadn’t known before. In conversation with director Chettan DK, Kajal emphasised that filmmakers have a responsibility to tell stories that mirror society’s realities.toi eKajal Aggarwal on her first reaction to the scriptSpeaking to Bollywood Bubble, when asked about her initial reaction upon learning about ‘The India Story’ and its script, Kajal said, “I was taken aback. I remember I had sleepless nights. Darr lag raha tha(was afraid), and my mind was just churning and wondering, what do we do next? How do we ensure that this story comes out and is told? What should we do personally for our own families and our own lives? How do we live our lives? How do we deal with all this milawat?”.Chettan DK on why such films must releaseTalking about how crucial it is for films like this to release despite facing controversy, director Chettan DK said, “Bahut zaroori hai. Kyunki logon ko samajhna chahiye ki hum log kya kha rahe hain aur kya nahi. Jo meri kahaani hai, woh Slow Poison in Progress hai. Yeh slow poison kya hai, yeh logon ko film dekhne ke baad hi pata chalega. Agar log hain toh cinema hai. Log hi nahi hain, toh kuch bhi nahi. Isliye yeh zaroori hai. As filmmakers and actors, it’s our responsibility to also show the real picture, the reality and the fabric of society.”(It is crucial. People need to understand what they are consuming and what they aren’t. My story is about a ‘slow poison in progress.’ What exactly this slow poison is—people will only discover that after watching the film. Cinema exists only because of the audience; without the audience, there is nothing. That is why this is important. As filmmakers and actors, it is our responsibility to portray the true picture—the reality and the very fabric of society.)She also admitted that she wasn’t aware of any such incidents happening. Kajal said, “Mujhe bhi nahi pata tha. Mujhe bhi film ke dauraan bahut saari cheezein pata chali. I mean, of course, milawat ke baare mein suna tha, lekin jab apni aankhon se padha aur dekha, tab film ke dauraan samajh mein aaya ki kya-kya ho raha hai.”Kajal Aggarwal on different genres and realism in filmsWhen asked about the significance of releasing films of this kind, she said, “Alag-alag genres hote hain. So, it depends on the type of film that is being made. It’s not like a certain essence is missing. If a film is made only for commercial reasons, then it’s a commercial film. You can’t have realism in the middle of a commercial film. I mean, you can have real emotions—that’s what you have, and that’s what is there. So, I don’t agree with the fact that anything is missing. It’s just different genres, and different films are made for different reasons. Our film, this one, is a realistic film, yet it’s entertaining, and it’s wrapped around a courtroom drama. So, there are several layers to this. But different films do have different reasons for appeal.”About ‘The India Story’The film is co-produced by Swati Vinayak Saindane, Anita Jadhav, Vinayak Saindane, Kalpesh Shah, Devyani Khorate, and Prem Joshi. Presented by Zee Studios along with MIG Production & Studios, ‘The India Story’ is helmed by Chettan DK, who has also written and produced it alongside Sagar B. Shinde. The film is set to release worldwide in theatres on July 24, 2026, in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.