Kajol has often spoken openly about her strong bond with her mother and veteran actor Tanuja. However, not many are aware of her deep emotional connection with her maternal great-grandmother. In a recent interaction, Kajol opened up about how she once ran away from her boarding school just to see her great-grandmother, who was ill.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Kajol shared that she grew up in a home shared by four generations of women—her great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and herself—which led to a deep and lasting bond with all of them. She recalled an incident from her childhood when she received news that her great-grandmother’s health was deteriorating. Despite being just 11 years old and staying five hours away from Mumbai at her boarding school in Panchgani, she decided to run away from there to be with her.
Recalling the emotional incident, she said, “I got to know that my maternal grandmother’s mother was very sick. I called my mom, but she didn’t allow me to come back home because I had exams. My holidays were in December, so she asked me to come in December only. I was 11 at that time.”
She continued, “Another one of my friends was also unhappy, and we both decided to run away from the boarding school. We both decided to go to Bombay. I went to my local guardian, my mama in Panchgani, and I told him that mom has called me home. I asked him to take me to the bus stand. While I was waiting in the bus, the nuns came, and they pulled me by my ear and took me back to the school.”
Despite the rebellious moment, Kajol holds her boarding school experience in high regard. She shared that living among so many people taught her valuable life lessons and helped her understand society better. Because of her positive experience, she has always advocated for sending children to boarding schools. She revealed that not only did she send her daughter Nysa to one, but she also plans to send her 14-year-old son, Yug, to boarding school.
She said, “I like boarding schools, and I sent Nysa also to one. Now, I want to send my son Yug as well to the boarding school. There, kids learn the value of their parents. It makes you better at adapting to society.”
