On Sunday, Kajol completed 30 years in the film industry and thanked her fans for the unconditional love she had received during the journey. The 47-year-old actress took to Instagram to celebrate the milestone and posted a video montage of her characters from some of her blockbuster movies. Here’s a look at the films that Kajol picked for her video, and what made them special.
Bekhudi (1992): In her acting debut directed by Rahul Rawail, Kajol played a college student opposite Kamal Sadanah. Bekhudi was a commercial success and Kajol was praised for her fresh charm.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995): Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan became an iconic romantic pair following the box-office success of Aditya Chopra’s 1995 film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Kajol’s feisty Simran, who defies her authoritarian father to marry her love, became a cultural phenomenon and is still going strong at Maratha Mandir in Mumbai.
Gupt (1997): Kajol played the negative lead in Rajiv Rai’s thriller Gupt, alongside Bobby Deol and Manisha Koirala. The film became one of the biggest hits of 1997 and Kajol’s performance and choice of the role were highly praised.
Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998): Sohail Khan’s 1998 romantic-comedy Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya starring Kajol and Salman Khan became a super hit. The film also had a memorable soundtrack composed by Jatin–Lalit, Himesh Reshammiya, and Sajid–Wajid.
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998): Anees Bazmee’s adaptation of the Hollywood film French Kiss had Kajol playing a lovesick woman who follows her fiance India to win him back. Kajol’s chemistry with future husband Ajay Devgn, who played a good-at-heart-thief, made the film worth watching more than once.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998): Karan Johar’s directorial debut was a love story that revolved around Kajol’s transition from a tomboyish college girl to a demure and sensuous woman. Her scenes with Shah Rukh Khan in the second half set the screen ablaze.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001): Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan were reunited in Karan Johar’s family drama Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham alongside a star-studded ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. Nevertheless, Kajol stood out as the family’s adorable daughter-in-law with her madcap vibes.
Kajol. Instagram/ @Kajol
Fanaa (2006): Kajol was paired with Aamir Khan for the first time in Kunal Kohli’s romantic thriller Fanaa. She played Zooni Ali Beg, a blind Kashmiri dancer, who springs a surprise at the end that the man she loved had also not expected.
My Name Is Khan (2010): Karan Johar joined hands with Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan yet again for this moving drama. Kajol played an American-Indian woman and mother to a young boy who finds love in a man with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Helicopter Eela (2018): After a break, Kajol returned to the big screen with Pardeep Sarkar’s -drama Helicopter Eela. The film was based on the Gujarati play Beta Kaagdo, written by Anand Gandhi. Kajol played Eela, a single mother who rejoins college to complete her education after 22 years.
Tanhaji (2020): Kajol starred opposite her husband Ajay Devgn in Om Raut’s historical action film, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. She played Savitri Bai, wife of Shivaji’s trusted commander Tanaji Malusare.
Tribhanga (2021): Renuka Shahane’s 2021 family drama Tribhanga starred Kajol in the central role of an Odissi dancer who’s coming to terms with the illness and death of her estranged mother (Tanvi Azmi). The film was released on Netflix and marked Kajol’s OTT debut.
Some major films that Kajol gave a miss in her video
The list didn’t have Abbas-Mustan’s romantic thriller Baazigar opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The 1992 film was a box-office hit and became a cult classic. After Baazigar, Kajol starred in Naresh Malhotra’s Yeh Dillagi (1994) alongside Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, which too was a hit.
In 1998, Kajol did a double role in Tanuja Chandra’s psychological thriller Dushman, alongside Sanjay Dutt and Ashutosh Rana. She made her return to the screen after a gap of five years opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale in 2015. She has also worked in Tamil films, such as Minsara Kanavu (1997) with Arvind Swamy and Prabhudheva, and VIP 2 Lalkar (2017) alongside Dhanush.