Biography of Kajol

Kajol (born Kajolima Mukherjee) was born on 5 August 1975 in Mumbai and studied at the St. Joseph Convent, Panchgani. She comes from Bangla-Marathi parentage and belongs to the illustrious Mukherjee – Samartha family who have a long list of contributors to Indian cinema. Kajol’s late great grandmother Rattan Bai and grand mother Shobhana Samartha have been influential figures in the evolution of Hindi cinema. Her mother Tanuja is a reputed actress while her late maternal aunt, Nutan is considered to be one of the finest actresses of all times and has won five Filmfare Awards for Best Actress. Kajol’s father Shomu Mukherjee is a film producer having produced and directed films like Fiffty Fiffty(1981), Lover Boy(1985), Pathar Ke Insaan(1991) & Sangdil Sanam (1994). Her uncles Joy Mukherjee and Debu Mukherjee were popular actors of 1960s. Her cousins Rani Mukherjee, Sharbani Mukherjee and Mohnish Behl are also Bollywood actors. Her sister Tanisha started her acting career in 2003.

Kajol left school at the age of 16 and made her debut in a lead role opposite Kamal Saddanah in the movie Bekhudi (1992) directed by Rahul Rawail . Though the movie was a flop, her performance was appreciated. She also delighted the audience with her performance in Udhar Ki Zindagi, which also starred Jeetendra and Moushmi Chatterjee.

Kajol’s performance in Bekhudi, got her the lead role in Baazigar (1993) opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Her pairing with Shah Rukh Khan was an instant success and went on to become one of the most successful on-screen pairs of all time with blockbuster movies like Karan Arjun(1995), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge(1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai(1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).

Besides Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol has worked with all major stars with great success. Notable movies of her career are Yeh Dillagi (1994) with Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, Gupt (1996) with Bobby Deol, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1997) and Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain (1999) with Anil Kapoor. Kajol’s on-screen pairing with her husband Ajay Devgun also saw success with Ishq (1997) and Pyar To Hona Hi Tha (1998). In 2001 after the release of Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kajol took a sabbatical from acting for 5 years. She made a comeback with Kunal Kohli’s Fanaa(2006) with Aamir Khan which was a big hit at box-office.

Kajol's husband Ajay Devgun’s directorial debut U Me Aur Hum was release in April 2008 and was average at the box office. She will be seen in the animation film Toonpur Ka Superhero (Under production) opposite Ajay Devgun. She is in talks with Karan Johar for his magnum opus to be released in 2009 titled My Name Is Khan.

Kajol has won 4 Best Actress Filmfare Awards for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Fanaa. She is one award short of the record of 5 Best Actress Filmfare Awards held by her aunt Nutan. Kajol has also won Best Villain Filmfare Award for Gupt and Best Actress Filmfare Award for Tamil film Minsaara Kannavu (Dubbed in Hindi as Sapnay). Kajol’s double role in Dushman(1998) and her performance in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham have both won Best Actress Screen Awards.

Kajol is married to Bollywood actor Ajay Devgun and has a daughter Nysa. Kajol’s father in law Veeru Devgun has been a reputed action director and has also directed the movie Hindustan Ki Kasam(1999).Kajol and Ajay Devgun together are brand ambassadors for Whirlpool brand of consumer durables and Tata Indicom Mobile Services. Kajol along with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee has been a part of Pepsi commercial. Other brands endorsed by Kajol include Alpenliebe, Parle Marie Biscuits, Asmi Diamond Jewellery