Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan. What can you say about a jodi who is just 5 films old, yet one of the most bankable jodi’s in Hindi cinema? A jodi that has not yet delivered a box office dud. A jodi that has produced some of Bollywood’s biggest hits – earning her three Filmfare Best Actress Awards and him three Filmfare Best Actor Awards.
To celebrate the return of this jodi to the silver screen after eight incredibly long years, BollySpice is all set to take you on a journey down memory lane to look at the magic that has been created by one of the industry’s favourite jodi’s.
Baazigar
Directed by: Abbas Mustan
Produced by: Ganesh Jain
Written by: Robin Bhatt, Akash Khurana, Javed Siddiqui
Music by: Anu Malik
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Rakhee, Dalip Tahil, Anant Mahadevan, Siddharth, Johnny Lever
Release date: 12 November 1993
Baazigar was the film that launched the Kajol – Shah Rukh Jodi. Based on Ira Levin’s 1953 novel “A Kiss Before Dying”, Baazigar is a contemporary thriller about a young man on revenge fueled mission – a man who will stop at nothing to make sure he gets what he wants. Starting of as a simple romantic film, what follows is anything but what is expected. The storyline in typical Abbas-Mastan style is focused and cohesive throughout, with attention paid to detail.
Baazigar was Shah Rukh’s first film as the sole lead as well as the first film in which he played a negative role. Although a departure from the formula, Shah Rukh received positive reviews and a lot of critical acclaim from the success of the film.
Baazigar was Kajol’s first taste of commercial success. Though Baazigar was her second film, her chemistry on screen with Khan was evident and a sure sign of good things to come.
When Baazigar was released, the Indian audience was shocked with the unexpected shake–up of the standard Hindi formula – the murder of the innocent heroine (Shilpa Shetty) at the hands of the hero (Shah Rukh Khan). It was a formula that worked for Shah Rukh, shooting him to prominence overnight.
Abbas-Mustan and good music go hand in hand. For Baazigar, they turned to Anu Maliik and it was a good idea. It was the soundtrack to this film that shot them into the spotlight. Filled with a variety of love songs, the soundtrack went on to become one of Anu Malik’s biggest hits.
Baazigar also proved one more thing. It showed that a group of lyricists and one composer could come up with a great deal of variety that is good. Full of melodious tracks, the soundtrack is a great listen for anyone looking for good music even today.
Karan Arjun
Directed by: Rakesh Roshan
Produced by: Rakesh Roshan
Written by: Sachin Bhowmick Ravi Kapoor Anwar Khan
Music by: Rajesh Roshan
Starring: Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Raakhee Gulzar, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni
Release date: 13 January 1995
This 1995 Roshan offering was a drama that had a little bit of everything. It paired Shakrukh Khan in his avatar as a stable boy with Salman Khan as a muscle bound bare knuckle fighter as a pair of brothers who fought for their inheritance in this story of reincarnation.
But that is not what we are looking at here. Karan Arjun, though a story about two brothers, was another hit for the Shah Rukh-Kajol jodi.
Though the jodi was only a film old, the comfort level between the two was already evident. Shah Rukh had already given 6 hits, won a Filmfare Award and become a household name. Kajol was four films old and had provided a hit in the Sabrina remake, Yeh Dillagi, at the time of Karan Arjun‘s release.
The chemistry between the two was magical, even though they didn’t share that much screen time together what with all the vengeance fueled fighting that took place.
The music of the film was good. Rajesh Roshan tends to always save his best music for his brother and that continues to happen till date. The policy of keeping it in the family applies, I guess. The music of this film had a number of melodious hit numbers, like Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Ek Munda’ and the Mamta Kulkarni’s item number ‘Gup Chup’. However, the number I think most people will remember apart from ‘Yeh Bandhan Toh’ is Shah Rukh and Kajol’s ‘Jhatti Houn Main’, which I can’t imagine working as well with any other jodi…
Dilwale Dulhanyia Le Jayengaye
Directed by: Aditya Chopra
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Written by: Aditya Chopra Javed Siddique
Music by: Jatin-Lalit
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal
Release date: 20 October 1995
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The film that cemented the magic of this jodi. The chemistry between the lead pair in this film was something that would find them being cast again and again opposite each other. The two film old jodi now did not have very high expectations to meet from the audience, which in a way acted to their advantage.
Kajol and Shah Rukh are superb to watch. The chemistry they exude feels that it will last for a long time. DDLJ worked largely because of Shah Rukh and Kajol understanding that the script of the film that they were working on was based solely on the romance of the two young characters they were playing. Their scenes together and the build up to their romance are what take up most of the film, and the way it is handled and portrayed is what makes it even more magical. Had there not been the magic of their pairing, the film would have probably turned out to be different from the way we now know it.
This is why Shah Rukh and Kajol will forever be known as Raj and Simran, which is probably why we will see the film celebrating 1000 weeks in the future.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Directed by: Karan Johar
Produced by: Yash Johar
Written by: Karan Johar
Music by: Jatin-Lalit
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerjee, Farida Jalal, Reema Lagoo, Salman Khan, Anupam Kher
Release date: October 16, 1998
Written and directed by the debutant Karan Johar, KKHH was the trio’s first venture together, though it was the fourth outing for on-screen pair Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Rani Mukerji bagged a role that was originally offered to Twinkle Khanna, Tabu, Shilpa Shetty, Urmila Matondkar, Aishwarya Rai, Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor. Saif Ali Khan was offered the role of Aman Mehra, but he turned it down and it was essayed by Salman Khan.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is a film with a very simple message. Widower Remarriage – though it is pure escapist cinema at its best. The story is novel yet presented in a simple manner which looks at human relationships – a trademark of the Karan Johar Style.
Looking at the performances, Kajol was simply brilliant as the gawky, outspoken tomboy who transforms herself into the demure, sexy siren. Shah Rukh is Shah Rukh. His performance is heartbreakingly honest at times, and at times he hams it up, but isn’t that why we love him? It must be noted, however, that the Shah Rukh and Kajol define chemistry in this film having already established it in DDLJ.
KKHH is the second film to win the 4 major awards (Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress) at the Filmfare Awards, and I don’t think that would have been possible without the Kajol–Shah Rukh pairing.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Directed by: Karan Johar
Produced by: Karan Johar
Written by: Karan Johar
Music by: Jatin–Lalit, Aadesh Shrivastav, Sandesh Shandilya
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerjee, Farida Jalal, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor
Release date: 14 December 2001
Karan Johar’s second offering Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was the highest grossing Indian film overseas till 2006, when its record was broken by Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. The film brought back the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai cast comprising of Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji.
K3G is another Johar film that revolves around human relationships. Yash (Amitabh) and Nandini (Jaya) have raised their children, Rohan a.k.a. Ladoo (a young Hrithik Roshan) and Rahul (Shah Rukh) who was adopted when he was younger with a lot of love. Circumstances intervene and Shah Rukh falls in love with the wrong girl, Anjali (Kajol), a peppy girl from Chandni Chowk. Exasperated at his audaciousness, Yash is torn that Rahul refuses to marry Naina (Rani Mukherji), a person Yash feels is of much better class than Anjali. Yash and Rahul part ways unaware of the pain they have caused all of the others in their loving family. Come post-interval a changed and grown Rohan and a promiscuous Pooja (Kareena Kapoor), Anjali’s sister, who join forces to bring together Rohan’s torn family in the name of Yash’s dying mother, played by Achla Sachdev.
Released three years after KKHH, the audience had high expectations from the Kajol-Shah Rukh pairing. Though the chemistry was evident, to think that this was going to be another DDLJ would be a mistake. Kajol as Anjali and SRK as Rahul are perfectly cast. Kajol’s punjabi accent is commendable, and her well balanced act between comedy and emotion strikes a chord with the viewer.
Dharma Productions managed to deliver on its promise of giving us a lovable film for us to remember in coming times.
Which is why I guess there is so much pressure on Karan Johar to deliver a film that is nothing short of excellent. May Name is Khan is one of the most awaited films of the year. Not because it is another SRK film or because it is a Karan Johar film. It is because it has been eight years since the last SRK–Kajol release. He is giving the audience an opportunity to see the much loved jodi in action after such a long time.
Lets hope that My Name Is Khan adds another hit to this jodi’s hit list. And we don’t have to wait long! With the film releasing on the 12th of this month, I know where I am going to be…
