Shah Rukh Khan reveals 'not too pleasant' first meeting with Kajol on Baazigar set
Synopsis
Shah Rukh Khan once vowed never to work with Kajol again — because she was too cheerful on a New Year's morning when he was hungover. The story, shared on The Kapil Sharma Show, is a delightful footnote to one of Bollywood's most enduring on-screen partnerships, which has spanned seven films and over three decades.
Key Takeaways
Shah Rukh Khan revealed his first meeting with Kajol on the sets of Baazigar was on 1 January , when he was hungover and she was full of energy.
Kajol reportedly asked a make-up artist, 'Your hero is very quiet.
Doesn't he talk?' — unaware of Khan's condition.
Khan admitted he had resolved never to work with Kajol again after that first encounter.
Baazigar (1993) was directed by Abbas-Mustan , produced by Venus Movies , and loosely based on Ira Levin's 1953 novel A Kiss Before Dying .
Despite the rocky start, the duo went on to star together in seven films , including DDLJ (1995) , Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) , and Dilwale (2015) .
Shah Rukh Khan has revealed that his first encounter with Kajol on the sets of Baazigar was far from a fairytale beginning — recounting the story during a candid appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show. The Bollywood superstar admitted he was nursing a hangover on 1 January when they first crossed paths, while Kajol arrived bright-eyed and brimming with energy.
The Morning That Almost Ended a Legendary Partnership
Khan recalled that the Baazigar shoot had been scheduled for the early hours of 1 January, following a tense New Year's Eve. 'When I met Kajol, I met her on the set of Baazigar. It was 31st December and all of us were very tensed. We were shooting on the morning of the 1st,' he said.
The actor explained that he operates by a personal rule of always working on the first day of the new year, regardless of condition. 'I have a rule. You must work on the 1st of January, whether you are capable of doing it or not. So I came on the set, but all of us were very tense,' he added.
Kajol's Energy vs SRK's Silence
While Khan was visibly subdued, Kajol — known for her habit of sleeping early — was unusually spirited. Her enthusiasm, rather than lifting the mood, reportedly grated on the exhausted actor. Noticing his silence, Kajol reportedly turned to a make-up artist and asked, 'Your hero is very quiet. Doesn't he talk?' — a remark that did little to endear her to Khan at the time.
In a moment of disarming honesty, Khan confessed that his irritation ran deep enough to make a firm resolution. 'And at that time. And I am telling you the truth. I swear on my bread and butter. I had decided, 'I will never work with this girl',' he said on the show.
From an Awkward Start to Bollywood's Most Iconic Pair
That first impression, of course, did not hold. Baazigar (1993), directed by Abbas-Mustan and produced by Venus Movies, is loosely based on the 1991 film A Kiss Before Dying, itself adapted from Ira Levin's 1953 novel of the same name. The film went on to become a landmark in Hindi cinema and launched one of the most celebrated on-screen partnerships in Bollywood history.
Following Baazigar, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol appeared together in a string of defining films: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Karan Arjun (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), My Name Is Khan (2010), and Dilwale (2015).
Why the Anecdote Resonates
The story is a reminder that chemistry — even the kind that defined a generation of romantic cinema — is rarely instant. The SRK-Kajol pairing has endured for over three decades, making this behind-the-scenes revelation all the more striking. It also underscores how the pressures of film sets, schedules, and personal rhythms can colour first impressions in ways that rarely survive the test of time.
Point of View
But it also points to something the SRK-Kajol mythology rarely acknowledges: the pairing was not preordained. It was built across repeated collaborations, each of which could have gone differently. That a hungover actor's snap judgement on a New Year's morning nearly prevented one of Hindi cinema's most bankable partnerships is the kind of detail that humanises an otherwise carefully managed superstar image. It is also a useful corrective to the nostalgia industry that has grown around this duo — the magic was made, not found.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Shah Rukh Khan first meet Kajol?
Shah Rukh Khan first met Kajol on the sets of Baazigar on 1 January, when the unit was shooting on New Year's morning. Khan was hungover, while Kajol arrived energetic and cheerful, leading to an awkward first impression.
Why did SRK find his first meeting with Kajol 'not too pleasant'?
Khan was nursing a hangover on the morning of 1 January and was largely silent on set. Kajol, who is known to sleep early, was unusually energetic, which he found irritating at the time. He later admitted on The Kapil Sharma Show that he had resolved never to work with her again after that day.
What is Baazigar and who made it?
Baazigar (1993) is a Hindi thriller directed by Abbas-Mustan and produced by Venus Movies. It is loosely based on the 1991 Hollywood film A Kiss Before Dying, which itself was adapted from Ira Levin's 1953 novel of the same name.
How many films have Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol done together?
After Baazigar (1993), Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have appeared together in six more films: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Karan Arjun (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), My Name Is Khan (2010), and Dilwale (2015).
Where did Shah Rukh Khan share this story about Kajol?
Khan shared the anecdote during an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show, recalling the events candidly and noting that his initial impression of Kajol was strong enough for him to vow never to collaborate with her again.
