Happy Birthday Kajol and Genelia!

As we welcome the month of August, BollyCurry comes together to celebrate the birthday of not one, but two talented actresses, both born on the 5^th of August.

Born to director Shomu Mukherjee and actress Tanuja in 1974, Kajol was no stranger to the world of acting. Niece to the veteran film actress Nutan, Kajol is related to the beautiful Rani Mukerji Chopra and talented Mohnish Behl, both stalwarts in the Indian film industry. Kajol also has a younger sister, Tanishaa Mukerji, who has also forayed into the world of acting.

Given her family background, it comes as no surprise to anyone that Kajol debuted with the film Bekhudi (1992) at the tender age of 18. While the movie didn't perform well at the box office, Kajol's work was well appreciated by all and sundry. She then went on to star in the hit Baazigar (1994), which propelled her and Shah Rukh Khan into the limelight. Incidentally, this was the first of many collaboration between Khan and Kajol, possibly one of the most iconic on screen pairings in the Bollywood industry. The duo went on to star in a number of successful films together, such as Karan Arjun (1995), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2000), My Name is Khan (2010), and the upcoming Dilwale, scheduled to release on the 18^th of December this year.

Kajol has been well known for always experimenting with her roles, from playing a quintessential flower-pot in Karan Arjun (1995), an obsessive lover in Gupt (1997) and a loud mouthed Punjabi woman in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2000). Her acting has almost always won her numerous accolades, including the six Filmfare Awards, four Star Screen Awards, three Zee Cine Awards, the 5^th Annual Rajiv Gandhi Award for Excellence in an Active Field in 2002 and most recently, the Padma Shri in 2011, bestowed by the President of India.

Married to popular actor-producer Ajay Devgn in 1999, the two are proud parents to a girl, Nysa, and a boy Yug. Despite taking a sabbatical of sorts to focus on her children, Kajol continues to make appearances in movies every other year, and never fails to amaze her fans and the critics with her impeccable acting.

Another beautiful actress born on the 5^th of August is the vivacious and extremely lovable Genelia Deshmukh. Born as Genelia D'Souza in 1987 to a Mangalorean couple settled in Bombay (Jeannete and Neil), Deshmukh grew up in Bombay, completing her schooling from Carmel High School and got her Bachelors in Management Studies from St. Andrews College.

Modeling from the age of 15, Deshmukh's first advertisement was a Parker Pen commercial alongside the megastar Amitabh Bachchan. She went on to appear in a number of other commercials, before she signed her first Hindi feature film, Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003).

Simultaneously, she was signed on for her first Tamil and Telugu films, Boys (Tamil) and Satyam (Telugu), all of which released within a few months of each other. Deshmukh's performance in Tujhe Meri Kasam was widely appreciated by everyone, but the failure of the film didn't help her Bollywood career. However, her successful outing in Boys and Satyam paved a way for her to enter the Tamil and Telugu industry, where she gave a number of hits, including the likes of Bommarillu (2006), Chennai Kadhal (2006), and Santhosh Subramaniam (2008), which was the Tamil remake of her hit film Bommarillu.

She returned to Bollywood in 2008 opposite then debutant Imran Khan in Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Naa, which was a blockbuster hit. The movie was praised for its novel story and Deshmukh's effervescent acting, which ultimately made her a household name. She went on to appear in a number of successful films, such as Velayudham (2011) opposite the popular Tamil actor Vijay, Force (2011), a remake of the popular Tamil film Kaakha Kaakha, and Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya (2012) opposite her husband, Riteish Deshmukh.

Married to actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh, son of the late minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the two were rumored to be dating from the advent of their first film, but neither confirmed the news. It was in 2012 when the two finally came out in the open and tied the knot in a Hindu Maharashtrian Ceremony, followed by a traditional Catholic Ceremony the next day. Deshmukh has taken a sabbatical from acting post marriage, but continues to make appearances in various social events alongside husband. The power couple recently welcomed their firstborn son, Riaan, on the 25^th of November, 2014.

On this occasion of their birthdays, we at BollyCurry present to you a small playlist of numbers you can groove on to celebrate this special day.

1.       "Baazigar Oh Baazigar" - Baazigar

2.       "Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main" - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge

3.       "Awara Bhanwre" - Sapnay

4.       "Yeh Ladka Haaye Allah" - Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

5.       "Des Rangeela" - Fanaa

6.       "Ishq Subhanallah" - Mere Baap Pehle Aap

7.       "Kooke Kooke" - Life Partner

8.       "Pappu Can't Dance Saala!" - Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na

9.       "Pe Pe Pepein" - Chance Pe Dance

10.   "Pee Pa Pee Pa" - Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya

From this writer at BollyCurry and all others, here's wishing the beautiful ladies a very Happy Birthday!

Writer: Ritchelle C.
Editors: Pooja B. and Mohini N.
Graphics: Saraa K.

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