Bollywood Star Kajol Reflects on How Mother's Hardships Shaped Her Career Path

In a recent interview, Bollywood stalwart Kajol has reflected on how her mother Tanuja Mukherjee's struggles in the film industry shaped her own career path. Kajol admits that although she was surrounded by cinema through her family, she never initially desired a career on screen.

Kajol explains that when she was growing up, she realized her mother "worked 24/7 and didn't get paid even half as much as she should have." Tanuja's unstable and demanding work schedule, where she would sometimes come home only to bathe and head back to set, made Kajol determined to avoid a similar fate. Kajol states, "Nobody could pay me enough to do that."

Despite her reticence, Kajol notes that the cinematic milieu was always a normal part of her upbringing. She has also aligned her stance with the broader industry conversation about fair remuneration and reasonable working conditions for women. In her own career, Kajol maintains firm boundaries, refusing to subject herself to scenes of molestation or rape.

Kajol's reflections offer a revealing insight into how her mother's resilience shaped her values around work, balance, and respect in the film industry.