By Haricharan Pudipeddi

Chennai, Dec 22 (IANS): Actress Kajal Aggarwal, who teams up with actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan for the first time in the upcoming Tamil film "Indian 2", says signing the project has been a step up in her over a decade-long career.

Last seen on screen in Telugu film "Kavacham", Kajal has already begun prepping for her role in "Indian 2".

"I'm really thrilled to be part of the project. I'm quite excited about my role and the skills I will get to learn on the job. I see signing ‘Indian 2' as a step up in my career," Kajal told IANS along the sidelines of the launch of beverage brand 7Up's new campaign, 7Up Ponneram.

Ponneram translates to golden times in English. Kajal said her career's golden times started when she signed S.S. Rajamouli's "Magadheera".

"My golden times started when I signed ‘Magadheera'. I have seen many ups and downs in my profession but it was only after I did ‘Magadheera' did my career catapult to the next league. It earned me a lot of recognition which I enjoy even today," she said.

Talking about what excited her most about the association with 7Up, Kajal said: "It's a brand a lot of us can easily identify and relate with. I like the fact that it's a very clear beverage. It's also a drink that lets you take a step back and chill. I treat success or failure by taking a step back and I believe it gives you a lot of clarity."

On the career front, Kajal is keenly looking forward to the release of "Paris Paris", the Tamil remake of Kangana Ranaut's "Queen".

"Paris Paris" will be Kajal's first release of 2019.

"When I was offered the ‘Queen' remake, I saw it as a story that can be explored in many languages. It's a simple story of a simple girl that I could connect with on many levels. I'm sure there are a lot of girls across different parts of Tamil Nadu who will relate to this story and I'd be glad if this film empowers them," she added.