‘I don't bother much before saying no': Kajol on turning down Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots
From redefining mainstream heroines in the 1990s to experimenting with her roles, Kajol has always been known for her boldness. However, in a recent promotional interview, the celebrated actress made a surprising confession: she once turned down 3 Idiots, a film that later became one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema history.
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Kajol was asked whether turning down major projects ever comes with regret. True to her no-nonsense style, she shared that saying no is never a struggle for her, not even for high-stakes films. Among those rejections? 3 Idiots, Rajkumar Hirani's cultural phenomenon that starred
Aamir Khan
, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi. The actress was offered the role of Pia, which later went to Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Despite the film's staggering success, Kajol insisted she doesn't believe in looking back. She added that every film finds the actor it's meant for. 'I think that I've done very well for myself without them,' she added.
Who else rejected Rajkumar Hirani's movie?
Interestingly, Kajol wasn't the only A-lister who turned down the film.
Shah Rukh Khan
had also been approached to star in 3 Idiots but passed on it — a decision he later joked about on Koffee With Karan, calling himself the 'fourth idiot' for letting it go.
Anushka Sharma
, too, had auditioned for the project but didn't land the part.
About 3 Idiots
Ultimately, the 2009 blockbuster made history, becoming the first Indian film to cross Rs 300 crore at the domestic box office and earning a permanent place in pop culture with its satire on the education system and memorable catchphrases. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani and co-written by Abhijat Joshi, the movie is based loosely on Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone. It starred Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Omi Vaidya, with Kareena Kapoor and Boman Irani in key roles. Fun fact: Aamir's character was inspired by innovator Sonam Wangchuk, and the film even features real-life Indian inventions.
About Kajol's upcoming work
Kajol, meanwhile, is ready to explore darker themes in Maa, a Vishal Furia directorial produced by Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat Pathak. Slated to release on June 27, the film is reportedly linked to the Shaitaan universe and marks a bold departure for the actress, who will be seen in a never-before-seen avatar. Kajol has worked with Aamir Khan in films like Fanaa and Ishq.
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The victory over Bangladesh, and her 'garibi hatao' campaign had endeared her to the masses and the classes. Even the opposition hailed her as an avatar of Durga. Photo: IMDb advertisement Film-maker Gulzar saw in Indira's unique persona and soaring popularity an opportunity to craft a political satire. The outcome was 'Aandhi', a film that suffered the highs and lows of the character that inspired has said many times the film was not based on Indira Gandhi's life. Only the lead character, Aarti Devi, was inspired by her, and Tarkeshwari Sinha, a popular Parliamentarian from Patna. But at the time of 'Aandhi's' release, the film was marketed as an Indira Gandhi biopic, with posters exhorting the audience to come and watch 'their PM on the screen.'The strategy, initially successful, backfired when Mrs Gandhi's opponents started screening some of the scenes in 'Aandhi' to tarnish her image during elections for the Gujarat assembly, fought in the heat of the Navnirman on a complaint filed by the Congress, the Election Commission banned 'Aandhi', 24 weeks after its initial release. Soon after, on June 26, 1975, Indira Gandhi's firm voice crackled through All India Radio, announcing the imposition of the Emergency. The film, thus, was indelibly linked with Mrs Gandhi, and the excesses of the Emergency that coincided with the PLOT'Aandhi's' narrative unfolds with a delicate balance of personal drama and political intrigue, centred on Aarti Devi (Suchitra Sen), a charismatic yet embattled politician whose chance reunion with her estranged husband, JK (Sanjeev Kumar), forces her to confront the sacrifices her ambition has demanded. Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen in a still from 'Aandhi'. (Photo: Facebook/FilmHistoryPic) While Aarti navigates the deluge of emotions from the past, an election unfolds, with all its trickery and subterfuge. Unable to match her aura and sharp moves, the opposition attacks Aarti's personal tongues, like they always do, begin to wag with rumours, snide remarks and salacious gossip. But, with a bold move at the end, Aarti stuns her critics, stealing the show, literally, from their own narrative similarities with Indira Gandhi are hard to miss. Her father, India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, wasn't happy with her marriage to Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi. The marriage was solemnised with Vedic rituals, at Nehru's Gandhi, a dynamic politician and journalist, maintained an independent identity. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli in 1952 and 1957, he often sparred with the government. In 1958, he famously uncovered the LIC scandal, which implicated the relationship with Indira was complex, marked by periods of strain. Burdened with contradictions, the alliance didn't last long. Indira Gandhi soon shifted to her father's home with her sons Rajiv and 'Aandhi', Aarti's complex marriage with JK, who has an independent spirit, mirrors the Indira-Feroze dynamics. But, unlike Feroze Gandhi's tragic end - he died young after a heart attack - the film ends on a happy another scene, Aarti is pelted with stones. This happens after she delivers a speech and is confronted by an angry crowd. A journalist then asks her if violence is a part of politics, to which she replies that it is a part of bad incident has an uncanny similarity with a political rally where a stone hit Indira Gandhi's nose, requiring minor surgery. Photo: IMDb THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLYThe film's brilliance lies in Gulzar's ability to craft a story that is both intimate and universal, exploring the toll of public life on personal relationships. Sen's portrayal of Aarti is magnetic. She channels the poise and steely resolve of a leader while revealing the quiet loneliness beneath her polished as JK, matches her with a performance that is understated yet deeply affecting, his character's stoic demeanour masking years of unresolved film's non-linear storytelling, a Gulzar trademark, weaves past and present seamlessly, showing how Aarti's rise in politics strained her marriage and distanced her from her daughter. This personal conflict is juxtaposed with her public persona, where she navigates a world of sycophants, rivals, and moral compromises.'Aandhi' doesn't shy away from showing the gritty realities of politics - bribery, manipulation, and public scrutiny - but it does so with a poetic restraint that avoids Burman's music, paired with Gulzar's evocative lyrics, is the film's emotional heartbeat. Songs like 'Tere Bina Zindagi Se' and 'Is Mod Se Jaate Hain' are not mere interludes but narrative pillars, amplifying the themes of longing and chemistry between Sen and Kumar is most palpable in these musical moments, where their unspoken emotions speak louder than words. The supporting cast - Om Prakash, AK Hangal, and Om Shivpuri - adds depth, portraying the loyalists and sceptics who orbit Aarti's problem with the film is its climax. It starts with a problem that looks like a pointless 'Aandhi', a storm in a teacup, and ends with a dramatic solution. 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