News18 Rising Bharat Summit: Kajol reveals why she dropped her surname before entering films:  I didn’t want the baggage of lineage...

At the News18 Rising Bharat Summit held in New Delhi on Tuesday, Bollywood actress Kajol discussed a personal choice she made early in her career—why she decided to drop her surname and be known simply as Kajol.

In the candid conversation, she explained the reasons behind her decision, offering insights into her approach to identity and career.

When asked why she chose to be known by just her first name, despite having such a famous lineage, Kajol responded, "Bilkul bhot hee concious choice thi, Mere maaa ne mujhse poocha tha, jab main picture main aana chahti thi, uss waqt ki you have such amazing lineage from your grandmother's side and your grandfather's side, aur mujhe uss waqt aur abhi bhi lagta hai ki mujhe kisi ki taraf daari nhi karni thi [It was definitely a very conscious choice. My mother had asked me when I wanted to enter the film industry, at that time, 'You have such amazing lineage from your grandmother's side and your grandfather's side,' and I felt, both then and even now, that I didn’t want to lean towards anyone's legacy"]

Kajol added, "I wanted to be true to myself and I didn’t want the baggage of lineage, toh issi liye maine socha ki main sirf Kajol kay naam se jaani jaaun toh shayad itna pressure nhi aayega mujh pr [I wanted to be true to myself and I didn’t want the baggage of lineage, so that’s why I thought I should be known only by the name Kajol, so that perhaps there wouldn’t be so much pressure on me]"