Of the three Khans, although her pairing was preferred with Shahrukh Khan in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) and to a greater extent with Aamir Khan too in Fanaa (2006), it is with Salman Khan she was best paired with in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998).
But with her husband Ajay Devgan, her on-screen pairing didn’t work many wonders. Of course there were Ishq (1997) and PTHHT (1998). But then there were Raju Chacha (2000) and U, Me Aur Hum(2008) too. She hasn’t as yet worked with Hrithik Roshan.
Starting her career with Bekhudi (1992), even she wouldn’t have imagined that she would acquire an iconic status. But then things automatically worked out in her favour. She courted success soon with Baazigar (1993) and Karan Arjun (1994). And as they say, the rest is history.
DDLJ (1995) and Gupt (1997) established her firmly as the nation’s sweetheart. She had arrived. Everything was hers for asking from then on. A special award for best villain was especially created for her for her role in Gupt.
She is also involved in charity work and with social causes. She was awarded the Karamveer Puraskar (2008), a national award in recognition of her social work.
She is considered a lucky mascot by her directors Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. So, they requested her to be there for special appearance in their films like Kal Ho Na Ho, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Om Shanti Omand Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. It only adds to her aura. The viewer laps it all up.
She has acted in quite a few regional movies and earned accolades there too. Winner of many best actress awards, she has made a niche for herself that can never be surpassed. There are no scandals or controversies courting her. She has had a smooth ride, touch wood. That’s the mark of this girl.
She didn’t try any tricks to remain in the limelight. Even though she took a sabbatical from acting in 2003 after her daughter was born, people lapped up Fanaa as if she was never on a break. They were just waiting for her release. Fanaa ended up being a huge hit.
And to say marriage is supposed to be a death knell for the career of any heroine. And having a kid means being offered aunty or behenji roles. And ageing means getting mothers roles only (to heroes, who are of same age or much older). Or being away from the films meant being forgotten for good. Nothing like this has happened for Kajol. She is a standard against which the industry and viewer measure other heroines.
She will soon be seen in the much awaited movie My Name Is Khan opposite Shahrukh Khan in the central role. Her other forthcoming movies are Toonpur Ka Superhero and Koochie Koochie Hota Hai. And in all the three movies she is acting as the heroine. There is 3 Idiots opposite Aamir Khan and an untitled Siddharth Malhotra project too.
She is of Marathi-Bengali descent. She is married to a Punjabi. National integration is slowly making its presence felt in her family. But her appeal has crossed national boundaries. It is now universal. Who knows, aliens and UFOs too are not unaffected by her charms. Who knows they are holding her posters on moon. That certainly won’t come as a surprise. It goes with the (Kajol’s) territory.
In her case, the future will always be bright. She will never fade away from our memory or be consigned to history. She will keep flying high. Viewers will always look forward to her movies. Such stars come once in a while. She is like the proverbial old wine that only improves with age.
Even when her daughter becomes a lead heroine, Kajol would still be playing lead roles hopefully. As they say, for some there is only a beginning but no end. She will ever remain fresh in memory just like it is today.
Decades will pass. Actresses may come and go. But Kajol will remain forever. She is truly the one and the only.
