As Kajol celebrates her 50th birthday on August 5, 2024, here's a look at how the actress proved her naysayers wrong and became a superstar in Bollywood.
Born to late producer-director Shomu Mukherjee and actress Tanuja, Kajol celebrates her 50th birthday on August 5, 2024. The actress, whose debut film was a massive commercial failure and was labelled 'dark and fat' when she entered the film industry, proved her critics wrong and became a superstar. Here's a look at her Bollywood journey on her special day. (All images: Kajol/Instagram)
1. Kajol's debut film Bekhudi was flop
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Kajol made her acting debut in the 1992 acting drama Bekhudi, when she was just 18 years old. She was paired opposite another debutante and star kid Kamal Sadanah, son of producer and actor Brij Sadanah. The film was completely rejected by the audiences and was a massive box office failure.
2. Kajol was labelled 'fat and dark'
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Speaking to Humans of Bombay in 2023, Kajol shared, "She is dark, she is fat and she wears specs all the time. These were some of the judgments that were passed when I first started working in the industry. I couldn’t care less. I knew I was smart, cool and better than everyone out there who had any negatives to say about me. So, I kept continuing to be myself and never let it show. Sooner or later, when they couldn’t pull me down, the world simply embraced me for who I was - Kajol."
3. Kajol's successful films
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After Bekhudi, Kajol's next release was Baazigar with Shah Rukh Khan. The film became a blockbuster and she never looked back. In the past three decades, she has been the leading actress in multiple successful movies such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Gupt, Dushman, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Fanaa, and Tanhaji among others.
4. Kajol has won most Filmfare Awards for Best Actress
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Kajol has won the most Filmfare Awards for Best Actress, tied with Nutan and Kajol. She was awarded the Best Actress at Filmfare Awards five times for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Fanaa, and My Name Is Khan.
5. Kajol has massive net worth of Rs 250 crore
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As per Financial Express, Kajol has a massive net worth of Rs 250 crore and her annual earnings are around Rs 25 crore. The actress is the brand ambassador of multiple brands such as Kellog's, Tata Salt, Google Play, and Kwality Walls. She has also been the face of many brands such as Whirlpool, Joyalukkas, Alpenliebe and Tata Indicom in the past.
6. Kajol's upcoming films
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Kajol has an exciting set of films lined up for release. These include the actioner Maharagni with Prabhu Deva, mystery thriller Sarzameen with Prithviraj Sukumaran and Ibrahim Ali Khan, Vishal Furia-directed horror film Maa, and mystery drama Do Patti with Kriti Sanon.
