who is kaajal ?
- Kaajal Oza Vaidya is a Gujarati author, screenwriter, columnist and speaker whose work has travelled from newspapers and novels to radio, television and film over four decades. Starting as a journalist and copywriter, she went on to publish more than 86 books and write for long‑running TV serials and award‑winning Gujarati films. Alongside this creative work, she is also involved in social initiatives as managing trustee of Satyajit Trust.
- Across all these mediums, her centre remains the same: human relationships and the inner life of women and families. Her writing and talks often explore marriage, parenting, self‑worth, loneliness and spiritual confusion in a direct yet compassionate tone, which is why many readers and listeners treat her as a trusted elder rather than a distant public figure.
- In recent years she has also begun using digital platforms—YouTube, Instagram and other social media—to bring this voice to younger audiences who may discover her first on a screen rather than on a page or stage.
Early life & education
- Kaajal Oza Vaidya was born on 29 September 1966 in Mumbai in a Gujarati family closely connected with journalism; her father, Digant Oza, was a noted editor and columnist in the Gujarati press. She spent her early years between Mumbai and Gujarat before eventually making Ahmedabad her long‑term base for writing and media work.
- She completed a bachelor’s degree in English and Sanskrit from Gujarat University in 1986, followed by a post‑graduate qualification in Advertising Management from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, in 1990. She has also passed the Kovid Hindi examination and the Panditya Sanskrit examination, giving her formal grounding in multiple Indian languages that later shaped her literary and media career.
work done by kaajal
- Books
Kaajal has written more than eighty‑six Gujarati books – from relationship novels like Yog Viyog and Madhyabindu to mythological retellings such as Krishnayan and Draupadi, and essay collections like Sangath Ek Bijano that speak to everyday love, family and courage.
- Screen & Stage
She has written stories and dialogues for long‑running Gujarati serials like Ek Daalna Pankhi and Moti Ba, and for films including Dikri To Parki Thapan Kehvay, Saptapadii, Ghat and Diwanagi, along with several theatre scripts performed in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
- Columns & Radio
Her weekly columns appear in newspapers such as Divya Bhaskar, Kutchmitra, Janmabhoomi Pravasi, Mumbai Samachar and Phulchhab, and for many years she hosted the popular storytelling and life‑talk show Kaajal@9 on 94.3 MY FM in Ahmedabad.
- Teaching & Mentoring
As visiting faculty at Gujarat University and through workshops in India and abroad, Kaajal teaches creative writing and speaks to students, parents and young professionals about storytelling, relationships and emotional resilience.
- Social work
After the loss of her son, Kaajal helped establish Satyajit Trust, named in his memory, as a way to turn personal grief into support for others. The trust focuses on legal aid, education and dignity, primarily for women in need, who often do not have access to lawyers, counsellors or safe spaces, and Kaajal uses her talks, writing and public visibility to draw attention and resources towards this work.
