Kajol admits she never wanted to act because of her mother Tanuja’s struggles; says, “She worked 24/7 and didn’t get paid even half as much as she should have”

Bollywood stalwart Kajol has opened up candidly about how witnessing her mother Tanuja Mukherjee’s hardships in the film industry dissuaded her from pursuing acting early on. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor revealed that although she was surrounded by cinema through her family, she never initially desired a career on screen.

 

Kajol admits she never wanted to act because of her mother Tanuja’s struggles; says, “She worked 24/7 and didn’t get paid even half as much as she should have”

 

Kajol said, “When I was growing up, I realised that she struggled a lot. She worked 24/7 and didn’t get paid even half as much as she should have. It wasn’t a stable or continuous source of income. I remember thinking, ‘I never want to work that hard.’ She would work from seven in the morning till late at night, sometimes coming home only to bathe and head back to set. She did that for years when we were kids. Nobody could pay me enough to do that. That was the main factor that made me not want to be in films.”

 

Despite this reticence, Kajol noted that the cinematic milieu was always part of her upbringing, saying, “Otherwise, with my mom, my dad, my grandfather…it was such a normal part of my life, so I was never starstruck by it.”

 

She also aligned her stance with the broader industry conversation about fair remuneration and reasonable working conditions for women. She asserted that in her own career choices, she maintains firm boundaries. “If I like a script, there aren’t too many do’s and don’ts. But I have a few clear boundaries. I will not subject myself to scenes of molestation or rape. I don’t enjoy them as subjects, and I don’t feel they’re necessary to prove my worth as an actor,” she stated.

 

Kajol’s reflections offer a revealing insight into how her mother’s resilience shaped her values around work, balance, and respect in the film industry.

 

Also Read : Kajol clarifies “actors work harder than 9-5 employees” comment: “You can take tea breaks or just relax for a bit. We can’t”

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