COME BACK, KAJOL!
Don't Let K3G Be Your Last

Kajol is singing her swansong with Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. This is following her decision after the debacle of Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, where even her two meaty roles failed to get the box-office registers jingling. The actress, who has often been termed arrogant, insensitive and too haughty at times, has now acted in what she has termed as the last film in her career. She has no films in hand at then moment. Nothing signed and no plans for long - probably going the Jaya Bachchan way. But looking at the way, she has come out trumps in the film, with rave reviews as the loud Anjali from Chandni Chowk, one wonders, why this girl wants to quit?

Yet if one realises her funda in life, whatever Kajol does is never surprising. She has always relied on her instincts. "I do what I want to. I came into films just like that. I will remain only as long as I feel I want to," she said soon after entering Bollywood.

Daughter of actress Tanuja and producer Shomu Mukherji, niece of the legendary actress Nutan and the grand daughter of Shobana Samarth, Kajol had indeed made a very low-key debut in the film Bekhudi. Why? Simply because the reason why she chose the film was because family friend and glamour photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha had penned the script and wanted her to star in it. An instinctive decision. So Bekhudi, it was. The film directed by Rahul Rawail flopped. But Kajol was noticed.

It took Abbas-Mustan's Baazigar to get into the reckoning, thanks to a lot of help from Shah Rukh Khan, who was indeed the star of the film. Kajol then did some youthful films like Yeh Dillagi where her bit of cleavage was on display. She managed to repeat that in Karan Arjun. "I wish I had not done Karan Arjun at all," she said of that Rakesh Roshan film, adding that "I don't think I exposed. I just was what I was. I wear shorts normally and I wear less clothes too. So what is wrong in that? I don't think it is exposing. If you think so that is your problem."

And that is how she has been. Not bothering about what the interviewer thought; not bothering about what people commented. Frankly, her bindaas attitude has been one great reason why she has been loved. "I came into films just like that. I shall leave when I feel like it," she said. And we do admit that she never did expose in films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and was in certain ways, the most loved actress in Bollywood.

Then the grapevine became stronger. She had a childhood love Karthik who vanished into thin air the moment she became a star. She was said to be in love with Ajay Devgan who had a few flings before he settled for her. But the films opposite Ajay -- Hulchul and Goondaraj were big flops.

One of the reasons that the films flopped was that the couple used to decamp from the sets. "It was quite often that these two would suddenly run away from the sets. But I didn't have much trouble, though I could have done a bit more of shooting and re-shooting in the period," said director Anees Bazmee.

But Pyar To Hona Hi Tha and Ishq, the films that followed, did very well. And then the marriage happened. The wedding was kept low-key, and the pictures were distributed later. But the films that released after that, starring both -- Dil Kya Kare and Raju Chacha were disasters. It was like the Bhagyashree and Himalay story where the heroine did not do well in films opposite her husband.

But in the case of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the film is an entity in itself and has much more than Kajol. Yet she has managed to deliver a stunning performance and has enthralled the public despite other heavyweights like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Jaya Bachchan and the current heartthrob Kareena Kapoor. Now Kajol is one woman we all want to remain in the industry just for the way she performs. Please, come back Kajol.

But while we do the requesting, Kajol has her plans firmly chalked out. While the talk of the stork visiting the Devgan household is running hand in hand with the talk of her splitting with Ajay, there is the news of her purchasing a plot near their place to set up an orphanage. Again, Kajol is doing what she feels for, not bothering what anyone else thinks.

Coming back to movies, if Kajol does not return to films, this could probably be the last cover story on her. Here's hoping for once that we are proved wrong, and wishing to witness the homecoming soon…

WRITTEN BY A S GILL