Kajol reflects on how much parenting and relationships have changed since the 90s, saying today’s youth behave very differently from the DDLJ era. She believes Gen Z would not follow the same permission-based life.
Image Source: Instagram
If Simran from ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ walked into a Gen Z household today, would she still wait at the door with folded hands asking for permission or would she already be halfway to the airport with her phone in one hand and boarding pass in the other? That’s exactly the kind of thought Kajol recently sparked while talking about how much life has changed since the 1990s.
The actor, who famously played Simran in the iconic romance, opened up in a chat on ‘Shame Less with Lilly Singh’, where she reflected on love, parenting, and how young people behave today compared to the era when DDLJ ruled cinema screens.
Advertisement
Kajol didn’t hold back while describing how today’s teenagers function very differently. She pointed out that the idea of an 18- or 19-year-old asking parents for permission in the old-fashioned way barely exists anymore.
Advertisement
With a laugh, she explained the modern version of the conversation: “I don’t think anybody at the age of 18 or 19 is going up and telling their dad, ‘Can I please go on this trip?’ It’s more like, ‘Dad, I really have to go on this school trip, and you really have to pay for it.’”
Kajol also spoke about how relationships between parents and children have evolved over time. In the DDLJ era, emotional distance and strict expectations often shaped decisions. Today, she says, the dynamic feels more like open discussion than silent acceptance.
Parents are no longer just authority figures but also participants in conversations. Decisions are often debated, justified, and negotiated rather than simply accepted or rejected.
According to Kajol, this change reflects how society itself has moved where young people feel more confident expressing what they want without hesitation.
When asked what she hopes today’s generation learns from the film, Kajol shifted from humour to a softer note. She said the emotional core of DDLJ still matters even if everything else has changed.
“I think what I would love for them to take away is that relationships and family matter at the end of the day,” she shared. She added that no matter how independent life becomes, family love remains constant and grounding. “Your family is your family, and they love you… that’s what it’s all about.”
But Kajol didn’t miss a chance to joke about her own iconic look from the film either. When asked what Gen Z should ‘not’ copy, she laughed and said, “My dressing sense, at least, for sure.”
Advertisement
