Kajol recalled how she faced burnout after her third film Udhaar Ki Zindagi, and wanted to quit movies. However, Shah Rukh Khan encouraged her to continue pursuing her passion.
Kajol, who made her acting debut with Bekhudi (1992), is considered amongst one of the most popular Hindi film heroines who has many memorable roles to her credit. However, there was a point in the early days of her career when the actress wanted to quit showbiz after doing her third Bollywood film Udhaar Ki Zindagi which released in 1994.
Starring Jeetendra and Moushumi Chatterjee, Udhaar Ki Zindagi featured Kajol as a teenage girl who sets out to win over her grandparents. In a recent interview with India Today, the ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ actress confessed that she faced burnt out after this film, and was even planning to quit the film industry. However, her friend and co-star of several films, Shah Rukh Khan gave her a ‘brutal’ advice which helped her to overcome that phase.
Kajol told the publication, “So I did a film long back called Udhaar Ki Zindagi. That was, I think, my third film. I was very new. I must have been about 17 or 18 at that time. And I remember, I finished the film. And I remember before that, Shah Rukh was like, ‘you know you just have to learn how to act’.”
She continued, “I was like, what is this? What is he talking about? Of course, I’m doing a fabulous job. But I did this film called Udhaar Ki Zindagi. And I’m finishing the film. And I remember turning around and telling my mother at that time, ‘You know, mom, I’m done. Wow. I’m burnt out.”
“At the tender age of 18-and-a-half, I am done. I cannot move anymore. I cannot cry anymore. I cannot put glycerin anymore. I can’t, I don’t want to do these films anymore. I want to do, you know, four scenes, ten songs.’ I wanted to do such films. And I signed four films like that. So that’s where Gunda Raj, Hulchul, all these films came out from. I learnt the technique of acting after that,” the actress admitted.
Eventually, Kajol went on to earn praises and several accolades in her career.
Currently, the actress is busy with the promotions of her upcoming film Do Patti which marks her reunion with her ‘Dilwale’ co-star Kriti Sanon after nine years. The suspense thriller is slated to release on Netflix on October 25.
