India's Sweetheart

Devesh Sharma Chronicles the Amazing 25 Year Run of Kajol

- Devesh Sharma

Who would have thought that the dusky unibrowed girl, who took faltering steps to stardom in Bekhudi (1992), would emerge to be the industry’s numero uno heroine not only in terms of success but talent as well. During her 25 year career, she has not only won over the masses with her charm, grace and beauty but also the critics by displaying natural ease in front of the camera. Her six Filmfare trophies are proof enough.

Nepotism and eugenic debates aside, Kajol had the moon blood of the SamarthMukherjee khandaan raging in her veins. Her maternal grandmother, Shobhna Samarth, was a doyenne of the Hindi film industry, her own mother, Tanuja, was an elfin beauty with oodles of talent and aunt Nutan is considered a gold standard when it comes to acting. Father Shomu Mukherjee was a filmmaker. So was grandfather Sashadhar Mukherjee, founder of Filmalaya Studios, a name to reckon with in the industry since the late ’30s.

Kajol hit the jackpot with Baazigar (1993), where she played a girl who falls in love with her sister’s murderer, played by Shah Rukh Khan. The film was the beginning of a beautiful friendship both on and off screen between Shah Rukh and Kajol. Back-to-back hits like Yeh Dillagi (1994) and Karan Arjun (1995) followed.

She was cast opposite both Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in Yeh Dillagi, a rom com hugely ‘inspired’ by the Hollywood hit Sabrina. She aced her role and it won't be wrong to say she outshone the two male stars.