Kajol celebrated her mother Tanuja Mukherjee’s 83rd birthday with an affectionate tribute, calling the veteran actor a “rulebreaker,” “trendsetter,” “fashion icon” and the “strongest woman” she knows.
Veteran actor Tanuja Mukherjee turned 83 on Wednesday, September 23, and her daughter Kajol marked the occasion with a deeply personal birthday message.
Taking to X, Kajol shared two photographs with her mother. In the pictures, the actor can be seen embracing Tanuja and kissing her on the forehead.
Alongside the images, Kajol listed several qualities that she associates with her mother, celebrating both her personality and influence on her life.
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Kajol’s Birthday Message for Tanuja
Kajol’s birthday tribute began with a playful reference to her mother’s stature in the film industry.
“Happy birthday to the OG,” she wrote, followed by hashtags describing Tanuja as a “rulebreaker,” “trendsetter,” “fashion icon” and “redlipsticklady.”
Kajol also called her mother a “motherextraordinaire,” “strongestwomaniknow,” “bestteacher” and praised her as having the “bestsmileintheworld.”
Ending the message on a humorous note, Kajol wrote, “Love u always and forever 😉 now u can legitimately throw that 83 in my face.”
The affectionate post offered a glimpse into the mother-daughter relationship between the two actors, combining admiration with Kajol’s characteristic playful tone.
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Kajol Has Long Admired Tanuja’s Acting
Kajol has frequently spoken about the influence Tanuja has had on her life and acting career.
During an earlier appearance on the chat show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, Kajol was asked by host Farooq Sheikh about Tanuja’s work as an actor and the qualities she admired in her performance.
Kajol described her mother as a “fabulous actress”, particularly praising her spontaneity.
“I really think that she is an absolutely fabulous actress. She is the most spontaneous actress that I know of,” Kajol said.
She also recalled working with Tanuja early in her own career and admitted that she felt her mother was far ahead of her as a performer.
“When I worked with her in my first film, I felt like, you know, I felt like she was like worlds ahead of me, and she still is worlds ahead of me,” Kajol recalled.
What Makes Tanuja Special as an Actor?
For Kajol, spontaneity is one of Tanuja’s defining strengths as a performer.
She explained that her mother’s ability to respond naturally while acting was something she particularly admired.
“But she is just so spontaneous,” Kajol said, before adding that Tanuja’s talent remained something she held in especially high regard.
The comments offer an insight into the artistic influence Tanuja had on Kajol, who went on to establish her own successful career in Hindi cinema.
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Kajol and Tanuja Shared the Screen in Bekhudi
The mother and daughter also had an opportunity to work together during the early years of Kajol’s career.
Kajol made her film debut with ** Bekhudi in 1992**, and Tanuja played her mother in the film.
Their shared screen space gave the two actors an early opportunity to work together professionally, with Tanuja’s experience and Kajol’s emerging career coming together in the film.
The collaboration is particularly significant in retrospect given Kajol’s later success as one of Hindi cinema’s leading actors.
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A Birthday Tribute Filled With Admiration
Kajol’s latest message to Tanuja brought together several sides of their relationship: daughterly affection, professional admiration and playful family humour.
By describing her mother as a rulebreaker and trendsetter while also calling her the strongest woman she knows, Kajol celebrated both Tanuja’s public persona and her role within the family.
At 83, Tanuja remains an important figure in Hindi cinema, while Kajol’s birthday tribute offered a personal reminder of the influence she has had on the actor’s life and career.
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