By Ruchika Das
Who would have guessed that the dusky unibrowed girl, who made her debut with ‘Bekhudi’ in 1992, had gone in to become the Industry’s numero uno heroine, not only in terms of
success but also in terms of talent? Thanks to the phenomenal success of ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, Kajol has earned a permanent place in Indian cinema history (1995). She could have retired at the time, but she chose not to rest on her laurels, instead shining in role after role in the years that followed. On the occasion of Kajol’s birthday, we present a list of her films over the years.
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha
Directed by: Anees Bazmee
Produced by: Gordhan Tanwani
Starring: Kajol , Ajay Devgn, Om Puri
Streaming: YouTube
Sanjana decides to fly to India and bring Rahul home at any cost, including conquering her fear of flying. A passenger named Shekhar (Ajay Devgn) sits next to her as the plane prepares to take off. He realises Sanjana is afraid of flying, so he distracts her by provoking her. Sanjana accidentally spills a drink on Shekhar during the flight and realises he is hiding something. Shekhar goes to the toilet and pulls a plant wrapped in cloth from his pocket while inside. He unwraps the cloth that was covering the plant, revealing a diamond necklace he stole in Paris. He returns to his seat and places the necklace in one of Sanjana’s bags in order to conceal it.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
Directed by: Karan Johar
Produced by: Yash Johar
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Streaming: Netflix
Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), the adopted son of business magnate Yash Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan), is eternally grateful to his father for saving him from poverty. When Yash forbids him from loving poor Anjali (Kajol), Rahul marries her and moves to London with his new wife and sister-in-law, Pooja (Kareena Kapoor), breaking his mother’s heart (Jaya Bachchan). Ten years later, Rahul’s younger brother (Hrithik Roshan) arrives in London with the intention of mediating a reconciliation between father and son.
My Name Is Khan
Directed by: Karan Johar
Produced by: Hiroo Yash Johar, Gauri Khan
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Streaming: Disney+Hotstar
The film begins with Rizwan Khan (Tanay Chheda), a Muslim with Asperger syndrome, growing up with his mother (Zarina Wahab) in Mumbai’s Borivali neighbourhood. Rizwan later moves to San Francisco as an adult (Shahrukh Khan) and lives with his brother and sister-in-law. He falls in love with Mandira while there (Kajol).
After 9/11, Rizwan and Mandira face a series of challenges that force them to split up. Rizwan then embarks on a long journey across the United States to reclaim Mandira.
Dushman
Directed by: Tanuja Chandra
Produced by: Mukesh Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt
Starring: Kajol, Sanjay Dutt, Ashutosh Rana
Streaming: YouTube
Kajol plays twin sisters Sonia and Naina in this crime thriller. The antagonist Gokul raped and brutally murdered Sonia. Enraged, Naina sets out to avenge her sister’s death, where she meets blind, retired Major Suraj Singh Rathod, who trains her to plan her revenge. However, after an argument, Naina decides to go on the quest by herself. Will she be successful?
Fanaa
Directed by: Kunal Kohli
Produced by: Aditya Chopra, Yash Chopra
Starring: Aamir Khan, Kajol, Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher
Streaming: Amazon Prime
Zooni, a blind Kashmiri girl, meets Rehan Qadri, a local tour guide and incorrigible flirt who travels from city to city exploring architecture and women. Her friends warn her about this worthless roadside Romeo, but she chooses to disregard them. She is not someone who should be shielded. It is now her turn to learn about life and love. Is this really the best option? Zooni piques Rehan’s interest. He truly wants her to see life in all of its many colours, and he promises her that the time she spends with him will be the most precious of her life. Zooni sees Delhi, life, and love in new ways thanks to Rehan. What Zooni doesn’t realise is that Rehan has kept another side of his life hidden from her—something that has the potential to not only change, but also destroy her life.
Kajol Devgn, the daughter of Tanuja and Shomu Mukherjee, is one of Bollywood’s most successful actors. The actress, who turns 50 on August 5, made her acting debut in the 1992 romantic film Bekhudi, but her first commercial success came in 1993 with the thriller Baazigar, in which she co-starred with Shah Rukh Khan.
Kajol is a social activist known for her work with widows and children, for which she received the Karmaveer Puraskaar in 2008.
