Why Kajol Almost Quit Bollywood And Shah Rukh Khan's Advice Changed Her Mind: 'He Told Me...'

Bollywood actor Kajol, celebrating her 50th birthday on Monday, August 5, once contemplated quitting the film industry due to burnout. Despite advice from Shah Rukh Khan on the importance of learning acting techniques, Kajol initially dismissed the idea, only to later understand its significance.

In an interview with Humans of Cinema, Kajol revealed, “I reached a point in my career where I was doing things unconsciously. I was doing everything… I was like ‘ye bhi kar do, ye dialogue bhi bol do, sab kuch andar se nikal raha tha’ (Do everything, say every dialogue, everything was coming from within).”

Kajol recalled a conversation with Shah Rukh Khan, her co-star in iconic films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. “Shah Rukh told me, ‘Maybe you have got to learn this technique of acting.’ I was like, ‘What’s that? Aisi bhi koi cheez hai? (Is there something like that too?)’ He said, ‘Yes, people are taught this technique, and you have to learn this because you cannot do everything from within.’ I didn’t take it seriously then.”

Feeling exhausted from her intense roles, Kajol eventually confided in her mother, veteran actor Tanuja, about needing a break from “meaningful cinema.” Reflecting on that period, Kajol said, “I did a film called Udhar Ki Zindagi (1994). After that film, I felt I was done with the film industry and acting. I was completely burnt out as an actor and I didn’t want to do movies anymore. I told my mother I was taking a break from all this meaningful cinema, this rona-dhona (crying) and good roles. I didn’t want to do them anymore. I told her I wanted to be a typical 3-scenes and 4-songs kind of actor who doesn’t have many scenes. So, I signed 3 films which had that kind of role, and they were a relief.”

During her period of burnout, Kajol gained a crucial understanding of the importance of acting techniques. Reflecting on her journey, she shared, “You don’t have to give so much of yourself to something; you can just act knowing you are good at it.”

Kajol’s acting journey began with the 1992 romantic drama Bekhudi. Although the film was a box office failure, it marked the start of her rise to fame. Her breakthrough came with the 1993 film Baazigar, co-starring Shilpa Shetty and Shah Rukh Khan, which catapulted her to stardom.