Kajol Recalls Her Mom Tanuja's Reaction After Watching Gupt; 'I Remember My Mother Telling Me...'

Rajiv Rai's 1997 thriller Gupt starring Bobby Deol, Kajol and Manisha Koirala, clocked 25 years last week. In an interview with a news agency, Kajol opened up on the shock value of the film and revealed that she received the highest accolade from her actress-mother Tanuja.

Speaking about why she agreed to be a part of Gupt, the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai star told PTI, "It was the shock value of the film, the character and the fact that nobody expected it to come. It was gutsy at that time to do it. It's the story and role that's what really got me to do it. I think he (Rajiv Rai) was a little nervous because he was not sure whether I would do the film. He sat for a two-hour narration and was sweating profusely. But by the end of it, both Tanisha (her sister) and I were like 'I have to do this film'. There was no question about it, it was perfect for me."

Kajol recalled her mother's reaction after watching the film and said, "I remember my mother (Tanuja) telling me, 'Oh my God, what a film!'. And that's the highest accolade that I can get because my mother rarely likes my films, she would like my performances but not films."

Kajol's portrayal of the main antagonist in Gupt was praised by all and the actress became the first actress to bag the Best Performance in a Negative Role at the Filmfare Awards.

The Bollywood star recalled the time of Gupt's release and said that a big film would definitely be a hit because of the absence of social media and other forms of entertainment back then. According to Kajol, because of this, it was easier for a film to run in theatres for 25 weeks or complete a golden jubilee. However now, there's more competition on screen.

Kajol further called herself lucky as she starred in great films, worked with some fabulous directors, and had great music in films.

Speaking about Gupt, the Rajiv Rai directorial revolves around Sahil (Bobby Deol), accused of murdering his step-father (Raj Babbar) setting out on quest to prove his innocence with his girlfriend Isha (Kajol) and friend Sheetal (Manisha Koirala) who is also in love with him.