Kajol’s five finest films

Not Dilwale Dulhaiya Le Jayenge, please. The film and the performances are so overrated, it hurts! Kajol’s unquestionable talents were often invested in films you haven’t seen or not seen closely enough to see what nuances she brings into mundane parts such as the two back-to-back double roles she did in Raju Chacha and Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi in 2000/2001. Here are the ones that are proof of what she is, and why.

1. Udhaar Ki Zindagi (1994): A terribly miscast Jeetendra playing Kjaol’s grandfather (!!!) did not take away from the blazing power of Kajol’s performance as the NRI determined to bring her broken family together, This remake of the Malayalam hit Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu was a boxoffice failure. Maybe it’s time to rediscover this Kajol sparkler.

2. Dushman (1998): As the twin sisters Naina and Sonia, one of whom must bear the guilt of being alive when the other is murdered, just made our day. She was so distinctive in her interpretation of the two characters and she paired well with Sanjay Dutt. Wonder why they never came together again.

3. Pyar toh Hona Hi Tha (1998): In 1998 Kajol was nominated for three best actress awards in Dushman, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and this quaint unofficial remake of the 1995 Kevin Kline-Meg Ryan sex comedy French Kiss. Kajol paired with her husband-to-be Ajay Devgan and they had themselves a lot of fun. But sorry, no kissing, French or otherwise.

4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001): In the vast cast, Kajol nonetheless stood out. I specially liked her in the sequence where she meets Amitabh Bachchan and clumsily topples over an expensive vase. Here is an actor who never gets intimidated no matter who is on screen with her. In her scenes with both Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan Kajol more than stood her ground. No wonder Jaya told me she wants to remake her mother-daughter film Phagun where Waheeda Rehman played the mother and Jaya the daughter, with Jaya as mother and Kajol as daughter.

5. My Name Is Khan (2010): The best sequence of this film, which is probably the best thing Kajol has done so far, was edited out due to the film’s length. It shows Kajol calling her relatives in India from the US after her son’s death to ask about the rituals to be conducted. Goosebumps!