Kajal Kiran


Kajal Kiran is a former Indian actress and model, who appeared primarily in Hindi films, as well as acting in Malayalam, Kannada, and Tamil films. Kiran made her debut in 1977, and promptly established herself as a stable actress in Hindi cinema. She appeared in over 40 films throughout her career, with Kiran playing supporting roles in a majority of them, occasionally playing the heroine or making guest appearances.

Early life

Kiran was born and raised in Mumbai, to a middle class Marathi family. She was raised alongside her brother, Ravi Kulkarni. She did her schooling at St. Joseph's High School, where she mainly studied physics and biology, following her original dream to become a doctor.

Career

Kiran made her film debut in 1977, when she was chosen by director Nasir Hussain to play the lead in his romantic comedy Hum Kisise Kum Naheen as Kajal Kisharina, the heroine of Rishi Kapoor. She also worked with actors and actresses Amjad Khan and Zeenat Aman. The film ended up to be a major box-office success, hitting the third highest-grossing movie of the year. It was marked as a classic film, and gained a cult following. The role shot Kiran to stardom, marking her official debut in the film industry, with her receiving much fame.
Following the success of the film, Kiran had then pursued her career and continued acting. She’d soon began to get more movie offers, and in 1980 starred as the lead role in Maang Bharo Sajana as Geeta Sinha, the heroine to Jeetendra, who played a double role, and starred alongside Rekha and Moushumi Chatterjee. The film turned to be a commercial success, turning to be the eighth highest grossing film of its year. She also appeared in the Ramsay Brothers horror film Saboot in the same year, as Kaajal. In contrast to the success of her previous films, Saboot turned to underperform at the box-office, grossing merely ₹1.2 crore. She also made her first guest appearance as a dancer in the film Morchha, in the popular song "Ab Ki Baras." In 1981, Kiran then played the heroine to Mithun Chakraborty in the spy-thriller film Wardaat, and in the Bollywood-film Hum Se Badkar Kaun. The films were reported both as successful hits at the box-office, further boosting Kiran's credibility and career.
Kiran later starred in the Bollywood-action film Hum Se Hai Zamana in 1983 as Chutki, the heroine to Amjad Khan. She’d once again worked with Mithun Chakraborty and Zeenat Aman, and worked with the actress Kim and the actor Danny Denzongpa. In spite of the credible cast, the film was a box-office bomb, but became popular later for its songs. In the same year, she had also starred in the feature-film Karate as Geeta, working again alongside Mithun, and in the feature-film Lalach. Both films were box-office failures. The year before, she'd starred in Kannada-film Sahasa Simha, her first movie to be in a language other than Hindi.
Kiran continued to work in films, hitting mainly average grossers and failures. However, Kiran was able to bounce back. In 1984, she starred in the Malayalam film Uyarangalil as Devi Menon, starring alongside Mohanlal, Nedumudi Venu, and Rahman. The film was her second time she starred in a Malayalam film, with her starring in the film Chakkarayumma earlier that year. With Chakkarayumma being a commercial disappointment along with a number of her films previously flopping, Kiran’s career began to fluctuate. Uryangalil turned to be a critical box-office hit, and was declared a cult classic and a superhit film.
In the next year, Kiran had made guest and cameo appearances in a few films, including Andar Baahar, in which she’d worked with Danny Denzongpa and Kim once again. She was cast in the lead role in the Tamil language film Bandham, along Sivaji Ganesan. In spite of the film being a box-office failure, it helped Kiran show her versatility. Later that year, she then was cast as Banu in the film Aandhi-Toofan, along Hema Malini and the late Shashi Kapoor. The film had turned to be one of the highest grossing films of the year, and was a commercial hit at the box-office, further helping Kiran’s career.
In 1986, Kiran‘s first role of the year was in the supporting character Savitri, starring with the late actress Sridevi and once again starring with Jeetendra in the film Ghar Sansar. The film was a success at the box-office, and turned to be one of the highest grossing films of that year. She starred in two other films that year, Daku Bijlee and as Shobha in Inteqam Ki Aag, in which both turned out to be commercial disappointments.
In the year following, Kiran only starred in one film. She starred as Saroj in the film Muqaddar Ka Faisla with Raaj Kumar and Rakhee. The film was a failure at the box office. The majority of her films in this period turned to be box-office bombs, which led to Kiran’s career begin to heavily fluctuate. Eventually, Kiran retired the film industry in 1990, in order to focus on her marriage with her spouse. Kiran’s last five films, Deewane, Qurbani Rang Layegi, Rajoo Dada, and Aakhri Sanghursh, were released in the years following her retirement.

Contract misconception

While Kiran was shooting for Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, the director, Nasir Hussain, had told her not to sign any further films until after the film was released, and the results were seen. Due to this, other directors and producers had not approached her for films due to them being under the belief that a contract had been in place between Kiran and Hussain. She’d lost chances for films such as Balika Badhu and Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se, which went on to be critically and commercially successful. Kiran never commented or discussed on the misunderstandings.

Personal life

Kiran kept a low profile throughout her career, and never revealed much of her private life.
Kiran later married to a spouse whose identity she did not disclose, and promptly moved to the Netherlands following her retirement in 1990. Since her retirement, she has not been seen in public. It has been reported that Kiran now has two children.

Filmography

Kiran appeared in a total of 44 films from 1977–1990.
YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1977Hum Kisise Kum NaheenKajal KisharinaHindiDebut film
1980Maang Bharo SajanaGeeta SinhaHindi
1980MorchhaGuest DancerHindi
1980Saajan Mere Main Saajan KiHindi
1980SabootKaajalHindi
1981Hum Se Badkar KaunKajriHindi
1981Bhula Na DenaHindi
1981WardatKajal MalhotraHindi
1981DahshatSunita Hindi
1982Sahasa SimhaKannadaFirst Kannada film
1982Hum Paagal PremeeHindi
1982Geet GangaHindi
1982Doosra RoopHindi
1982Maine Jeena Seekh LiyaLajjoHindi
1982Jeeo Aur Jeene DoHindi
1983LalachHindi
1983KarateGeetaHindi
1983GreedHindi
1983Ek Baar Chale AaoPriyaHindi
1983Dharti AakashHindi
1983Hum Se Hai ZamanaChutkiHindi
1984ChakkarayummaVineetha MathewsMalayalamFirst Malayalam film
1984UyarangalilDevi MenonMalayalam
1984Mohabbat Ka MasihaHindi
1984Ram Tera DeshGuest DancerHindi
1985Star TenHindi
1985Maujaan Dubai DiyaanGuest DancerHindi
1985Andar BaaharHerselfHindi
1985Bhago Bhut AayaManorama's nieceHindi
1985BandhamTamilFirst Tamil film
1985Ee Lokam Evide Kure ManushyarJameelaMalayalam
1985Do Dilan Ki DastaanAarti VermaHindi
1985Aandhi-ToofanBhanuHindi
1985Mujhe Kasam HaiHindi
1985Main Khilona NahinHindi
1986Ghar SansarSavitriHindi
1986Daku BijleeHindi
1986Inteqam Ki AagShobhaHindi
1987Muqaddar Ka FaislaSarojHindi
19887 BijliyaanBevdiHindi
1989SaayaRubyHindi
1989Aurat Aur PattharHindi
1991DeewaneHindiReleased after her retirement
1991Qurbani Rang LayegiChutkiHindiReleased after her retirement
1992Rajoo DadaHindiReleased after her retirement
1997Aakhri SanghurshHindiReleased after her retirement