Kamini Kaushal did Chennai Express for Shah Rukh Khan, called her role in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh ‘honest and straightforward’

Kamini Kaushal, a legendary figure in Bombay cinema, passed away earlier today at the age of 98. She leaves behind a legacy that spans over seven decades, during which she witnessed the evolution of Hindi cinema in its most transformative years. Her journey began with the 1946 film Neecha Nagar, which won the prestigious Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival, arguably he highest honour a film can receive. From that early triumph, Kaushal went on to work with some of the biggest stars in the industry, including Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, and, later in her career, Shah Rukh Khan.

One of her last appearances was in Chennai Express (2013), where she played Shah Rukh Khan’s grandmother. During the film’s promotions, she was asked about her decision to take on this role after many years away from the limelight. In her characteristic humility, she shared: “Maybe the audience will be a bit surprised with the fact that why I suddenly turned up on the screen after so many years of no working and no exposure on the big screen. The thing is, when Shah Rukh asked me to do this little role, I said to myself, it really would be an odd thing that after having worked for 60 years in films, I haven’t done one film with Shah Rukh. I just had to do it. So that is how Chennai Express happened. Even though it’s a small role, but I hope you will accept it, and my pleasure to having worked with Shah Rukh is really welcoming. I’m glad I did it.”

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Following Chennai Express, Kaushal’s penultimate screen appearance came in the highly successful but equally polarising Kabir Singh (2019) by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, where she once again portrayed a grandmother, this time to Shahid Kapoor’s titular character. The role, over time has greatly resonated with audiences, especially on social media, where it has became a popular subject for reels, as her character imparted words of wisdom to Kabir. Reflecting on her role at the Star Screen Awards, she said: “Well, it was a minuscule role. But it was a very nice role, and I think it was very honest and straightforward.”

Her performance in Kabir Singh even earned her the SCREEN Award for Best Supporting Actress. And her final film appearance was in Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), where she acted alongside Aamir Khan.