This is an archive article published on September 23, 2024
Tanuja at 81: Tanishaa Mukerji, Kajol recall the veteran star’s parenting style, call her ‘typical Indian mother’
Tanuja, as a mother was very particular about her daughters learning good values and staying disciplined. In an exclusive interview with indianexpress.com, Tanishaa Mukerji recalled fond memories with her mother.
We all know Tanuja as a versatile and spontaneous actress, but for her daughters—Kajol and Tanishaa Mukerji—she is so much more. After separating from her husband, filmmaker Shomu Mukherji, Tanuja raised her daughters as a single mother. Despite being one of the busiest actresses of her time, she prioritised instilling strong values in them and ensuring she spent quality time with them.
In an exclusive interview with indainexpress.com, Tanishaa Mukerji, the youngest daughter of Tanuja shared, “She was a working single mother. It’s not easy for single mothers. They have to put food on the table and they have to take care of the baby. Luckily, for her, we lived in a joint family. We were brought up by our grandmother and great grandmother, So we had three generations bringing us up.”
She added, how like any other Indian mother, Tanuja too insisted on her daughter being disciplined and well-behaved. “I have a very normal film family. My mother is a very normal person. She is a typical Indian mother. She knows how to bring up her children, instill the right values. She disciplined us, as well as, spoiled us. But, discipline was very important for her. Good manners, good behaviour, how to speak to people, how to behave with people, these things are very important. If that’s normal, then we are a normal family. My mom insisted on that. She was very strong with how we behave. We must be well-behaved.”
Recalling fond memories from her childhood, Tanishaa shared, “I used to see my mother get ready and go for work. I used to feel so excited. I always told her, ‘Mom, when I will grow up, I want to do my hair like this and makeup like that.” She revealed, it was her mother’s influence that sparked her desire to become an actress. “I used to accompany my mother on set, but I didn’t enjoy it because she used to cry in several scenes and all, and I used to get very upset.”
Similarly, on the show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, Kajol jokingly recalled, “I was the most abused child.” She added, “I was beaten up regularly everyday. The great thing about mom is that she always let us be. We were always allowed to be whatever we wanted to be. There was never holding us back or trying to mold us and form us into some pre-conceived notion of what we should be as individuals. We were allowed to grow. Our imaginations were never curved. We were never told that this is not what children do. It was always like ‘If it makes you happy, go ahead and do it’. I think that was the biggest freedom.”
Tanuja, the daughter of filmmaker Kumarsen Samarth and actress Shobhna Samarth, always wanted to get into diplomatic service as she was interested in languages, however, financial crisis in the family pushed her to become an actress. Tanuja delivered many successful films Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), starring Rajesh Khanna, Jewel Thief (1967), starring Dev Anand, and Mem Didi (1961), among others. The actress turns 81 today.
Jyothi Jha is an incisive Copy Editor and multi-platform journalist at The Indian Express, where she specializes in high-stakes entertainment reporting and cinematic analysis. With over six years of diverse experience across India’s leading media houses, she brings a rigorous, ethics-first approach to digital storytelling and editorial curation.
Experience & Career
Jyothi’s career is characterized by its breadth and depth across the media landscape. Before joining the editorial team at The Indian Express, she honed her expertise covering the entertainment beat for premier national broadcasters, including NDTV, Republic Media, and TV9. Her professional journey is not limited to digital text; she has a proven track record as an on-air anchor and has successfully managed production teams within the high-pressure segments of Politics and Daily News. This 360-degree view of newsroom operations allows her to navigate the complexities of modern journalism with veteran precision.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Guided by the Orwellian principle that "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want you to do," Jyothi focuses on transparent, accountability-driven reporting. Her core areas of expertise include:
Cinematic Deconstruction: Analyzing the social subtext of mainstream Bollywood and South Indian cinema (e.g., Kantara, Masaan, Dabangg).
Toxic Masculinity & Gender Studies: A vocal critic of regressive tropes in Indian cinema, she often highlights the industry's treatment of women and social progress.
Box Office & Industry Economics: Providing data-backed predictions and analysis of film performance and superstar fee structures.
Exclusive Multimedia Coverage: Conducting deep-dive interviews and long-form features that bridge the gap between archival history and modern pop culture.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Jyothi Jha has established herself as a trusted voice by prioritizing substance over PR-driven narratives. Her background in hard news and political production provides her with a unique lens through which she views the entertainment industry—not merely as gossip, but as a reflection of societal values. Readers rely on her for "Journalism of Courage," knowing her critiques are rooted in a deep respect for the craft and a refusal to settle for superficiality. Her ability to pivot between daily news and specialized entertainment analysis makes her a versatile and authoritative pillar of The Indian Express newsroom.
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Tanishaa Mukerji recalls fond memories with mom Tanuja. (Photo: Tanishaa Mukerji/Instagram)