Shomu Mukherji, a respected filmmaker himself, was not only a protective father but also a practical advisor. Kajol revealed that he was the one who pushed her to say yes to ‘Baazigar’.
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Kajol on choosing ‘Baazigar’: Kajol has always been known for her strong screen presence and bold choices in films. But in a recent chat with ‘Filmfare’, the actress gave fans a rare look into the behind-the-scenes moments from her early career, and it turns out her father, Shomu Mukherji, had a big role to play.
Opening up in the interview, Kajol shared a powerful piece of advice that her dad gave her when she was just 16 and thinking about becoming an actress.
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“He told me, ‘You better be sure what you want to do, because once you put that makeup on, it’s not going to come off,’” she recalled. At the time, Kajol was full of confidence and replied, “What nonsense! I’m an educated girl, I’m a today’s woman. If I want to leave films, I’ll leave films. No one can stop me from doing what I want.”
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Looking back, Kajol smiled at her younger self but acknowledged that her father’s warning carried more weight than she had realized back then.
Shomu Mukherji, a respected filmmaker himself, was not only a protective father but also a practical advisor. Kajol revealed that he was the one who pushed her to say yes to ‘Baazigar’, a film she wasn’t too sure about at first.
“I didn’t know what to make of it. I kept thinking, ‘What is this film even about? What am I doing in it?’” she said. “But my dad told me, ‘You have to do this film. These are good directors, I know Abbas-Mustan.’ He was very firm about it. And that’s one film he clearly told me I must do.”
‘Baazigar’, released in 1993, turned out to be a game-changer for everyone involved. It starred Shah Rukh Khan in his first full-fledged antihero role, which became his breakthrough. For Kajol, it became her first big commercial success. The movie also marked the debut of Shilpa Shetty.
Directed by Abbas-Mustan, ‘Baazigar’ was a suspense-packed action thriller about a young man seeking revenge after the downfall of his family. The story was inspired by the novel ‘A Kiss Before Dying’ by Ira Levin.
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