The Mukherjee-Samarth family is a Hindu Bengali-Marathi family that has been involved in the Bollywoodfilm industry since the 1930s, Shobhana Samarth having first acted in a film in 1935. The Mukherjee family was connected to the Samarth family by Tanuja's marriage to Shomu Mukherjee in 1973.
Mukherjees
The Mukherjee family are a Bengali Hindu family that was said to be headed by Sashadhar Mukherjee, described as the founder of Filmalaya studios. Sashadhar was married to Ashok Kumar's sister Satirani Ganguly. Their five sons, Rono Mukherjee, Joy Mukherjee, Deb Mukherjee, Shomu Mukherjee and Shubir Mukherjee followed him into the industry. Rono was the director and composer of a single movie. He is also the father of actress Sharbani Mukherjee. Joy and Deb were both actors. Deb's son is director Ayan Mukerji and daughter Sunita is married to director Ashutosh Gowariker. Shomu became a director and producer. He is the father of actresses Kajol and Tanisha. Chandana Mukherjee was a scholar of her times. She was the eldest among all the Mukherjee children. She got married into Guha Family, landlords of their times. Shubir is also a producer. Sashadhar's younger brother, Subodh Mukherjee, was a director. He died on 21 May 2005. He is survived by his wife Kamala, sons Subhash and Sanjay and daughter Gitanjali. Sashadhar's elder brother was late Ravindramohan Mukherjee. His son, Ram Mukherjee, was a film director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios. He died on 22 October 2017. He had two children with his wife Krishna Mukerji, the actress Rani Mukerji, and Raja Mukerji who is a producer. Filmalaya Studios is currently owned by the surviving Mukerji brothers.
Samarths
The Samarth family is a MarathiChandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu family. Their legacy in films began with Rattan Bai, a popular actress of the 1940s. Her daughter Shobhna Samarth, was an actress and appeared in films such as Love in Simla, which also featured Joy Mukherjee. Shobhna's husband was the film director Kumarsen Samarth, her cousin, Nalini Jaywant, was also an actress. Shobna's daughters are Chatura, Tanuja and Nutan. Tanuja and Nutan carried on the family tradition. Tanuja was a moderate success, but it was Nutan who became a huge star. She holds the record for the most Filmfare awards won for Best Actress along with her niece Kajol. Tanuja and Nutan's children have also entered the film industry; they are the fourth generation of Samarths to do so. Nutan's son Mohnish Bahl is an actor; Tanuja and Shomu Mukherjee's daughters Kajol and Tanisha are actresses.
Ajay Devgn is Kajol's husband, and also an Indian film actor, director, and producer, who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema. Devgan has won numerous awards in his career, including two National Film Awards. He is the son of director and action choreographerVeeru Devgan.
Kajol Mukherji
The daughter of actress Tanuja Samarth and filmmaker Shomu Mukherjee, Kajol is one of the most popular Bollywood actresses. She has won six Filmfare awards among them five for Best Actress and one for Best Villain. She was the first woman to win the Filmfare best villain award. She has numerous blockbusters and hits to her name such as Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, , Ishq, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and Fanaa. Her films with Shah Rukh Khan have been huge hits. Kajol is married to actor Ajay Devgn; the couple has a daughter, Nysa, and a son, Yug. For a few years, she focused on her marriage and motherhood, sidelining films. Her comeback film Fanaa with Aamir Khan was hugely successful as was her 2010 release My Name is Khan. She has also acted in her husband's directorial debut U Me Aur Hum. Her younger sister Tanisha, aunt Nutan, grandmother Shobhna, great-grandmother Rattan Bai and cousins Sharbani, Mohnish and Rani are also Bollywood actors, while another cousin, Ayan, is a director, and grandfather, Kumarsen, was a poet.
Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji is also one of the most popular actresses in Bollywood. Rani is the daughter of filmmaker Ram Mukherjee and playback singer Krishna Mukherjee. Her brother is producer Raja Mukherjee. She has worked with Kajol in the 1998 hit Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Rani has been nominated for and won various awards. She won seven Filmfare awards and among them two for Best Actress, two for Best Actress and three for Best Actress in Supporting Role. She is the first and only actress to receive Best Actress and Best Actress in Supporting Role awards in the same year as well as Best Actress and Best Actress in the same year. As an actress, she won the highest number of Filmfare Awards. She is best known for her performance in 2005 cult classicBlack for which she won several awards. She has several blockbusters to her credit such as Ghulam, Saathiya, Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara, Bunty Aur Babli and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Rani is married to film director, producer, screenwriter and distributor Aditya Chopra.
Mohnish Bahl is an Indian actor working in the Indian film industry and on Indian television. He is a member of the Mukherjee-Samarth family. His parents were actress Nutan and Rajnish Bahl, a lieutenant commander in the Indian Navy. He is the grandson of actress Shobhna and poet Kumarsen, great-grandson of actress Rattan Bai, nephew of actress Tanuja and cousin of actresses Kajol Devgan and Tanisha Mukherjee. A frequent collaborator of Sooraj Barjatya, Bahl has appeared in Barjatya's blockbusters Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hum Saath-Saath Hain, and Vivah.
Ayan Mukerji
Ayan Mukerji, born in Kolkata, West Bengal, is an Indian film director. He is the son of actor Deb Mukherjee, made his directorial debut with Karan Johar produced Wake Up Sid, and won the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director. He directed his next film, the highly successful Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in 2013.
Ashutosh Gowariker
Ashutosh Gowariker is an Indian film director, actor, writer and producer, known for films such as Lagaan, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar among others. He is married to Sunita, former actor Deb Mukherjee's daughter from his first marriage.
