Kajal Aggarwal | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aggarwal in 2023 | |
| Born | (1985-06-19)19 June 1985 (age 39) Bombay,Maharashtra, India |
| Other names | Kajal A Kitchlu |
| Alma mater | Kishinchand Chellaram College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Nisha Agarwal (sister) |
| Awards | Full list |
Kajal A Kitchlu (néeAggarwal;[1] born 19 June 1985[2]), known professionally asKajal Aggarwal, is an Indian actress who predominantly works inTelugu andTamil films, as well as someHindi films.[3] She is a recipient of threeSouth Indian International Movie Awards along with fourFilmfare Awards South nominations.[4][5] Aggarwal is considered as one of the highest paid actresses in South Indian cinema, according to various media reports.[6][7]
Aggarwal made her acting debut with a minor role in the 2004Hindi filmKyun! Ho Gaya Na... and had her first Telugu film release inLakshmi Kalyanam (2007). In the same year, she gained wider recognition for her role inChandamama. The 2009 fantasy filmMagadheera, one of thehighest-grossing Telugu films of all time, marked a turning point in her career and earned her critical acclaim.[8][9]
Her other notable Telugu films includeDarling (2010),Brindavanam (2010),Mr. Perfect (2011),Businessman (2012),Naayak (2013),Baadshah (2013),Govindudu Andarivadele (2014),Temper (2015),Khaidi No. 150 (2017),Nene Raju Nene Mantri (2017),Awe (2018) andBhagavanth Kesari (2023).[10] She has also played the female lead in high-profile Tamil projects such asNaan Mahaan Alla (2010),Maattrraan (2012),Thuppakki (2012),Jilla (2014),Vivegam (2017),Mersal (2017) andComali (2019).[11] Her most successful Hindi films include the action filmSingham (2011) and the thrillerSpecial 26 (2013).[12]
In 2020, a wax figure of Aggarwal was put on display atMadame Tussauds Singapore, making it the first of an actress fromSouth Indian cinema.[13][14]
Kajal Aggarwal was born on 19 June 1985 and raised in aPunjabi family with roots inAmritsar, settled inBombay (present-day Mumbai).[15] Her father Vinay Aggarwal, is an entrepreneur in the textile business and her mother Suman Aggarwal is a confectioner,[16] and also Kajal's business manager. Kajal has a younger sisterNisha Aggarwal, an actress in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema.[17]
Aggarwal studied atSt. Anne's High School, Fort, Mumbai, and completed her pre-university education atJai Hind College.[18] She pursued her graduation in mass media, with specialisation in marketing and advertising, fromKishinchand Chellaram College.[18][19] Having harboured MBA dreams all through her growing years, in 2012, she said she "intended to achieve a post-graduation degree soon".[20]
Aggarwal made her acting debut in the 2004 Bollywood filmKyun! Ho Gaya Na..., in which she had a minor supporting role.[21][22]
Aggarwal made her debut inTelugu and played her first leading role in 2007 inTeja'sLakshmi Kalyanam, alongsideKalyan Ram; it did not fare well at the box office. Later that year, she appeared in theKrishna Vamsi-directedChandamama, which opened to positive reviews and became her first major successful film.[23] In 2008, she had her firstTamil film release,Perarasu's action entertainerPazhani, oppositeBharath. She had one more Tamil release that year withVenkat Prabhu's comedy-thrillerSaroja, in which she did a guest appearance. Although the film went on to become a commercial as well as a critical success,[24] the film failed to boost her career as her role was too insignificant.[25] Her Telugu releasesPourudu andAatadista oppositeSumanth andNitin, respectively, did not receive positive reviews, but both were successful at the box office.[citation needed]
Aggarwal had four releases in 2009. She first starred oppositeVinay Rai in the Tamil filmModhi Vilayadu, which garnered mixed reviews and was a financial failure. She then appeared in the high budget Telugu historical dramaMagadheera, alongsideRam Charan Teja, which saw her playing double roles for the first time. The film, directed byS. S. Rajamouli, received overwhelming critical acclaim, while Aggarwal, in particular, was praised for her portrayal of a princess. Aggarwal was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Telugu and nominated for the award for Best Telugu Actress in the South Scope Awards for her performance.[citation needed] It was highly successful commercially and broke several records,[26] emerging as the highest-grossing Telugu film of all time.[27][28]Magadheera's success turned Aggarwal into one of the most sought-after actresses inTelugu cinema.[citation needed] It was released again in Tamil asMaaveeran in 2011, and was also successful at the box office.[29] Her subsequent releasesGanesh Just Ganesh, oppositeRam andArya 2 oppositeAllu Arjun received mixed reviews from critics, while her performance garnered positive feedback.[30]
Aggarwal's first 2010 release wasA. Karunakaran's romantic comedyDarling, which featured her alongsidePrabhas and received a favourable response, becoming a commercial success at the box office,[31] with Kajal receiving her secondFilmfare nomination for Best Actress. Later that year, Aggarwal appeared in the Tamil thriller filmNaan Mahaan Alla, oppositeKarthi, which was based on a real-life incident and opened to positive reviews.[32] It was a box office success. The chemistry between Karthi and Aggarwal was widely praised.[citation needed] It was later dubbed in Telugu asNaa Peru Siva in Andhra Pradesh and was a success.[33] Aggarwal's final release in 2010 was another romantic comedyBrindavanam oppositeJr. NTR andSamantha, which received critical acclaim and went on to become a commercial success,[34] while fetching Aggarwal theCineMAA Award for Best Actress.
In 2011, Aggarwal was paired with Prabhas for the second time in the romantic comedyMr. Perfect, directed byDasaradh. The film became a critical and commercial success. Aggarwal's performance as a conservative doctor and her chemistry with Prabhas was praised by critics.[35][36] Aggarwal received her third Filmfare nomination for Best Actress in Telugu for her performance.[37] In May, she appeared inVeera, replacingAnushka Shetty[38] and starring oppositeRavi Teja for the first time.[39] The film received moderate reviews.[40]
In July that year, Aggarwal made her Bollywood comeback after seven years with a leading role in the police storySingham, a remake of thesame-titled 2010 Tamil film, oppositeAjay Devgn.[41][42] It received mixed reviews from critics,[43] as did her portrayal of a Goan girl Kavya Bhosle, with critics stating that Aggarwal had not much to offer in the hero-centric film.Komal Nahta noted that "Kaajal Aggarwal may not be very beautiful but she acts with effortless ease. Her performance is good",[44] whileFilmfare wrote that "Kajal who looks pretty and has done what she has been told to, but probably deserved a meatier debut".[45] Nevertheless, the film was a hit at the box office.[12] She was nominated for two awards for her performance: theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut and theZee Cine Award for Best Female Debut. Aggarwal finished 2011 with the Telugu filmDhada, oppositeNaga Chaitanya, which failed at the box office.[citation needed]
In early 2012, Aggarwal appeared in the Telugugangster filmBusinessman, alongsideMahesh Babu, directed byPuri Jagannadh. ASankranthi release, it opened to positive reviews and was a commercial success.[46] Aggarwal's performance, though limited, was praised by critics.[47]
Aggarwal made a comeback to Tamil cinema later that year with two high-profile action flicks. The first wasMaattrraan, directed byK. V. Anand and starringSuriya. The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Her performance was well received; a review carried byThe Indian Express summarised: "Kajal does with utmost sincerity as the foreign language translator Anjali. It's this trait and her graceful demeanour which makes Kajal a pleasant watch".[48]
I prefer Telugu film industry as women are respected more than they are in the Tamil film industry. In Tamil cinema, they care only about their hero. Of course, I don't give a shit and go and sit in my van
The second wasA. R. Murugadoss'sThuppakki, starringVijay, in which she played aboxer. It received mostly positive reviews from the critics and was a major commercial success, becoming the second Tamil film ever to collect over₹1 billion (US$11 million).[50] Her final release in 2012 was the Telugu romance filmSarocharu, opposite Ravi Teja for the second time.[51] Although her performance was praised by critics, the film received poor reviews and did below-average business at the box office.[citation needed]
In early 2013, Aggarwal starred inV. V. Vinayak's action filmNaayak, oppositeRam Charan Teja andAmala Paul.[52] Upon release, it received positive reviews and was a major commercial success.[citation needed] Also that year, she starred in theHindi filmSpecial 26, a heist drama directed byNeeraj Pandey. It went on to be a major critical and commercial success.[citation needed]
She later appeared inSrinu Vaitla'sBaadshah, opposite Jr. NTR for the second time in her career. Upon its release, critics appreciated her performance.The Times of India commented: "Kajal is as usual an eye-candy. She's got a good role and has done justice to her performance. Also she looks stunning in the songs."[53] The film was a financial success.[citation needed] Her final release in 2013 wasAll in All Azhagu Raja, oppositeKarthi, which released onDiwali to negative reviews from critics.[citation needed]
In early 2014, Aggarwal starred inR. T. Neason's masala filmJilla, in which she played a police officer. She then featured in a cameo appearance in the Telugu action thriller filmYevadu.[54] Her next release wasKrishna Vamsi's family dramaGovindudu Andarivadele, which released in October to positive reviews.[55] It grossed₹417 million (US$4.8 million) at the box office and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of 2014.[citation needed]
Aggarwal's first release of 2015 was in the Telugu action filmTemper, directed byPuri Jagannadh, alongsideNTR Jr. The film received positive responses from critics and was a commercial success at the box office.[citation needed] Aggarwal played an animal lover and on her performance, a critic fromThe Times of India said: "Despite her limited role, the actress does well".[56]
Next, she featured in two Tamil films, working with industry-leading actors and directors. In July 2015 she was seen as an entrepreneur inBalaji Mohan's gangster comedy filmMaari, oppositeDhanush. Critics rated it as a "regular masala movie" andRediff noted: "Kajal Aggarwal does have a significant role to play, but their onscreen chemistry just does not work".[57] The film became a commercial success.[58] Her other release,Suseenthiran's action filmPaayum Puli, alongsideVishal, received mixed reviews and failed at the box office.[citation needed] Reviewers criticised her character stating: "badly written and has nothing more to do with the script"[59] She also did a cameo appearance in the bilingual romantic comedy filmSize Zero.
The year 2016 saw Aggarwal appear in two high-profile Telugu films. She played the lead female role, marking her first collaboration withPawan Kalyan, in the masala filmSardaar Gabbar Singh, directed byK. S. Ravindra. Critical reaction of the film was mixed to negative, though Aggarwal's performance was positive. A reviewer from theDeccan Chronicle wrote: "Kajal Aggarwal plays the perfect princess and looks beautiful and elegant. In fact, she is a breath of air in the film".[60] The film grossed₹900 million (US$10 million) worldwide.[citation needed] Her second Telugu release wasSrikanth Addala's family dramaBrahmotsavam, oppositeMahesh Babu, which was a major critical and commercial failure.[61] Among the female leads, her performance as a "new age girl" was well received, despite the role having a limited screen time.[62] She next starred oppositeRandeep Hooda in the romantic drama Hindi filmDo Lafzon Ki Kahani. The film received moderate reviews.
In April 2016, she signed another Telugu film directed by Teja, starring oppositeRana Daggubati.[63][64] In June 2016, she signed forVivegam, starring oppositeAjith Kumar.[65] In July 2016, she signed for the Telugu filmKhaidi No. 150, starring oppositeChiranjeevi for the first time in his 150th film.[66][67][68]
In late July 2016, she signed to perform her firstitem number inKoratala Siva'sJanatha Garage, starringMohanlal, Jr NTR, Samantha Ruth Prabhu andNithya Menen.[69] The shooting of the song took place in mid-August 2016.[70] That song, titled "Pakka Local", was well received by the audience.[71] In October 2016, the much delayed Hindi filmFinal Cut of Director released, which was supposed to mark her lead debut.[72][73] The film was partially reshot in Tamil and released eight years earlier asBommalattam.[74] Her next release,Kavalai Vendam, received mixed to positive reviews, but her performance was praised by critics.[75] In December 2016, she signed forVijay 61, starring oppositeVijay.[76]
Aggarwal's first 2017 release was theTelugu-languageaction drama filmKhaidi No. 150, starring oppositeChiranjeevi. It received mostly positive reviews and turned out to be a commercial success,[77] with Aggarwal's performance praised by critics.[citation needed] In January 2017, in a poll conducted by the Hyderabad Times, she topped the list of Most Desirable Women 2016.[78][79] In 2017, she appeared in thePolitical dramaNene Raju Nene Mantri, as Radha Jogendhra, a loyal wife who acts as a morale balance toRana Daggubati's character. Her performance received praise from critics. She then appeared as lead female role in Spy action film,Vivegam, as Yazhini Kumar, a music teacher and loving wife of a spy. Her performance was again praised by critics. She then portrayed the supporting role inAtlee'sMersal as a doctor, and featured alongsideVijay for the third time in her career and her performance received positive reviews while the film becameone of the highest grossing Tamil films of 2017.Mersal went on to join the₹2 billion club.[80]
In 2018, Aggarwal had a leading role in the Telugu filmMLA.[81] In April 2018, she signed to a Telugu film which also featuresRavi Teja, marking her third collaboration with the actor.[82][83][84] She also starred inAwe, where she played a troubled woman. Aggarwal later bagged a role inKavacham.[85]
In 2019, Aggarwal was seen inComali. She then reunited with director Teja forSita, where she plays the titular character, an arrogant, selfish businesswoman who manipulates people for business improvement and money.[86]
In 2020, her role in the Telugu filmAcharya, co-starringChiranjeevi,Ram Charan was announced. It is directed byKoratala Siva and produced byRam Charan and Niranjan Reddy.[87][88] However, when the trailer released, there was no clip that featured her, which triggered rumours of makers cutting down her role. The rumours were confirmed by the directorKoratala Siva in an interview.[89]
In 2021, her two films released on 19 March,Mosagallu directed by Jeffery Gee Chin co-starringVishnu Manchu andSuniel Shetty;[90] and Sanjay Gupta directed Hindi filmMumbai Saga.[91]
Her first release in 2022 wasHey Sinamika, directed byBrinda, it hasDulquer Salmaan andAditi Rao Hydari alongside her. The film released on 3 March 2022.[92] In 2023, she appeared inBhagavanth Kesari directed byAnil Ravipudi. The film received mixed reviews from the critics.[93][94]
Aggarwal also has an under production filmIndian 3, co-starringKamal Haasan,Siddharth andRakul Preet Singh.[95]
On 6 October 2020, Aggarwal announced her upcoming marriage to Gautam Kitchlu.[96][97] On 30 October 2020, the couple got married in a small, private ceremony in her hometown ofMumbai, India, with only the couple's immediate families in attendance.[98][99]
Kajal made her pregnancy official with an Instagram post, which was also confirmed by her husband shortly. She gave birth to a boy on 19 April 2022, named Neil.[100][101]
Aggarwal has received fourFilmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu nominations — for the films,Magadheera,Darling,Mr. Perfect andGovindudu Andarivadele.[102][103]
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