Kareena Kapoor born into a film family in Mumbai on 21 September 1980, Kapoor (often informally referred to as 'Bebo') is the younger daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma is also an actress. She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. She is of Punjabi descent on her father's side,and Sindhi on her mother's side.
Kareena Kapoor |
While training at the institute, Kapoor was cast as the female lead in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) opposite his son,Hrithik Roshan. Several days into the filming, however, she abandoned the project; Kapoor later explained that she had benefited by not doing the film since more prominence was given to the director's son. She debuted later that year alongside Abhishek Bachchanin J. P. Dutta's war drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man who illegally transports civilians back and forth across the border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Bachchan's character while illegally migrating to Pakistan with her family. Her performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote that Kapoor "has a magnetic personality, which will make the viewer fall in love with her instantly. What surprises you is the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes [...] There is no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." On the experience of acting in her first film, Kapoor described it as "tough ... [but] also a great learning experience". Refugee was a moderate box-office success in India and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
For her second release, Kapoor was paired opposite Tusshar Kapoor in Satish Kaushik's box-office hit Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai(2001). A review in The Hindu noted that based on her first two films, she was "definitely the actress to watch out for". She next starred alongside Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan in Subhash Ghai's flop Yaadein, followed by Abbas-Mustan's moderately successful thriller Ajnabee, co-starring Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Bipasha Basu. Later that year, she appeared in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka—a partly fictionalised account of the life of the Indian emperor by the same name. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan, the film was screened at the Venice and 2001 Toronto International Film Festivals, and received generally positive reviews. Kapoor's portrayal of Kaurwaki—a Kalingan princess, with whom Ashoka falls in love—received mixed reactions from critics; Rediff.comconcluded that her presence in the film was primarily used for aesthetic purposes. At the 47th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received her first nomination for Best Actress.
Kapoor's fifth and final release of 2001 was Karan Johar's melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... in which she featured part of an ensemble cast. Filming the big-budget production was a new experience for Kapoor, and she recalls it fondly: "[I]t was great fun doing [the film and] we had a blast. [W]orking with the unit and the six mega star set was a dream come true." Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... was an immensely popular release, finishing as India's second highest-grossing film of the year and Kapoor's highest-grossing film to that point. It also became one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over 1 billion(US$15 million) worldwide. Bollywood Hungama reported that the success of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... proved a breakthroughfor Kapoor, and her portrayal of Poo (a good-natured, superficial girl) was described by Taran Adarsh as "one of the main highlights of the film". She received her second Filmfare nomination for the role—her first for Best Supporting Actress—as well as nominations at the International Indian Academy (IIFA) and Screen Awards.
During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor continued to work in a number of projects but experienced a setback. All six films in which she starred—Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, Talaash: The Hunt Begins..., Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, and the four-hour war epic LOC Kargil—were critically and commercially unsuccessful. Critics described her performances in these films as "variations of the same character" she played in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., and expressed concern that she was becoming typecast.
By 2004, Kapoor was keen on broadening her range as an actress and thus decided to portray more challenging roles. Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra, Kapoor essayed the role of a golden-hearted prostitute in Chameli, a film relating the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker (played by Rahul Bose). When Kapoor was initially offered the film she refused it, explaining that she would be uncomfortable in the role. She relented when Mishra approached her for the second time, and in preparation for the role, visited several of Mumbai's red-light districts at night to study the mannerisms of sex workers and the way they dressed. Chameli was well received by critics and the film marked a significant turning point in her career, earning Kapoor the Filmfare Special Performance Award. Indiatimes praised her "intuitive brilliance" and stated that she had exceeded all expectations. Rediff.com, however, found her portrayal unconvincing and excessively stereotypical, describing her as "sounding more like a teenager playacting than a brash, hardened streetwalker" and comparing her mannerisms to a caricature.
Kapoor next co-starred in Mani Ratnam's bilingual project Yuva alongside Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji and Esha Deol. The film, consisting of three chapters, tells the story of six individuals linked by a car accident. Kapoor is featured in the third chapter as Oberoi's love interest (Mira, a witty young woman). In a Times of India review film critic Subhash K Jha described her role as "fey and insubstantial", but further stated that "she turns these character traits to her own advantage to create a girl who is at once enigmatic and all-there". She then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, which revolved around the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh (a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case). It earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh noted that she was "first-rate" and in particular noted her scene with Bachchan's character.
Shortly afterwards, Kapoor was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller Fida. Set against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld, the film follows the story of an online heist in which her character, Neha Mehra, becomes involved. During the filming of Fida Kapoor began a romantic relationship with co-actor Shahid Kapoor, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life". Although the film was unsuccessful at the box office Kapoor received positive reviews for her performance, and some critics noted a distinct progression from her earlier roles. Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, both of which were successful at the Indian box office. Following the success of her last two releases, she was cast as the protagonist of the 2005 drama Bewafaa. The feature received mostly negative reviews, and Kapoor's portrayal of Anjali Sahai (an unfaithful woman) was not well received. Nikhat Kazmi of Indiatimes believed that to become a serious actress Kapoor was embodying a maturer, more-jaded character beyond her years in Bewafaa. She then starred in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki, which was a box-office failure; however, Kapoor's performance was generally well received by critics (with the BBC describing her as "a pure natural").
In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town, followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both were moderately successful. She next portrayed the character of Desdemona in Omkara—the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. The film (directed by Vishal Bhardwaj) is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh.Describing Bhardwaj as a "world-class director [with] a unique style", Kapoor was cast in the project after the director had seen her performance in Yuva, and was subsequently required to attend script-reading sessions along with the entire cast. The feature premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was received positively by critics, and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Screen Award. In a 2010 retrospective of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" of Hindi cinema, Filmfare wrote that she was "brilliant" and praised her ability to "effortless[ly]" convey the various emotions her character went through. Kapoor considered her role in Omkara as a "new benchmark" in her career, and compared her portrayal of Dolly with her own evolving maturity as a woman.
Following Omkara, Kapoor took a short break from acting, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes". In an interview with The Times of India Kapoor commented, "In my initial years in the industry, I pushed myself to do a lot of work because I was greedy. I did some films—which I now regret—purely for the money. Today, I want to do selective films."
Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a zest for life, in the romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007). Director Imtiaz Ali was not a well-known figure before its production, with only one feature credit to his name, but Kapoor agreed to the film after being impressed with his "mind-blowing" script. Featured opposite Shahid Kapoor, the film relates the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love. The film was received favourably by critics and became successful at the box office with gross earnings of302.5 million (US$4.6 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including her second Screen Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN noted, "Uninhibited and spontaneous, Kareena Kapoor is the soul of this picture, its biggest strength, as she brings alive her character with not just those smart lines, but with the kind of candor actors seldom invest in their work." While shooting for Jab We Met, Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship. When asked by Mumbai Mirror, she stated "I hold him in utmost regard, and I hope one day we could be good friends. He is a great guy."
The following year, Kapoor co-starred with Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action-thriller Tashan. Although a poll (conducted by Bollywood Hungama) named it the most anticipated release of the year, the film was a commercial and critical failure. She next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. She then appeared inRohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited. Part of an ensemble cast which included Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor, Kapoor played a mistrustful wife who believed her husband was unfaithful. The film had an ambivalent reception from critics, and Kapoor received mixed reviews. The Indian Express believed the screenplay was derivative, concluding: "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Kareena plays it." Golmaal Returns was a financial success with global revenues of 792.5 million(US$12 million).
In 2009, Kapoor was cast as Simrita Rai (opposite Akshay Kumar) in Sabbir Khan's battle-of the-sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, it was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios and featured cameo appearances by Hollywood actors. The film was poorly received by critics but became an economic success, earning over 840 million (US$13 million) worldwide; a review in The Times of India described Kapoor's performance as "a complete let-down" and "unconvincing". The box-office flop Main Aurr Mrs Khanna came next, following which she played the leading lady in the dramatic thriller Kurbaan, alongside Saif Ali Khan and Vivek Oberoi. The film (which marked the directorial debut of Rensil D'Silva) featured Kapoor as Avantika Ahuja, a woman who is confined to house arrest after discovering that her husband is a terrorist. Describing the film as "an emotionally draining experience", Kapoor explained that it was difficult to disconnect from her character. The film was critically praised, and Kapoor received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination. According to Subhash K Jha, "Kurbaan belongs to Kareena Kapoor. In her most consistently pitched performance to date she pulls out all stops to play a betrayed wife with splendid sensitivity. Kareena accommodates her radiant beauty into an utterly credible character and performance. At her best, Kareena is incomparable. She proves it in Kurbaan."
Kapoor's second Filmfare nomination that year came for Rajkumar Hirani's National Film Award-winning 3 Idiots, a film loosely based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, Kapoor played Pia (a medical student and Khan's love interest). Several actresses were considered for the role, though Kapoor was eventually cast under the recommendation of Khan. The film received critical acclaim and emerged as the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing 2025.7 million (US$31 million) in India. It also did well internationally, earning over 1.08 billion(US$17 million), the biggest Bollywood success ever in the overseas market.The Deccan Herald opined that Kapoor "brings a dollop of sunshine and feminine grace to an otherwise masculine tale. She is so spunky and spontaneous you wish there was room for more of her." 3 Idiots received several Best Movie recognitions at major Indian award functions, and Kapoor was awarded the IIFA Award for Best Actress, among others.
In 2010, Kapoor appeared in the romantic comedy Milenge Milenge, a production delayed since 2005.The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box-office returns. Kapoor's role was small, and not well received. She next took a supporting role as career-oriented Shreya Arora in We Are Family, adapted from the 1998 Hollywood film Stepmom. Reaction to the film was lukewarm, but Kapoor's performance drew positive reviews and ultimately won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Priyanka Roy ofThe Telegraph praised Kapoor for "breath[ing] life and a new-found maturity into what is largely a uni-dimensional character". At the end of the year, she reunited with director Rohit Shetty for Golmaal 3, a sequel to Golmaal Returns. Like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews though emerged as the most successful entry in the Golmaal series, earning more than 1 billion(US$15 million) domestically.For her portrayal of the tomboy Daboo, Kapoor received Best Actress nominations at various award ceremonies including Filmfare.
Kapoor had further success in 2011 as the love interest of Salman Khan's character in the romantic drama Bodyguard, a remake of the2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was not well received by critics, though became a financial success, with a domestic total of 1409.5 million (US$22 million)—India's highest-earning film of the year. A review in Mint dismissed Kapoor's role as the "sacrificial, ornamental [and] submissive female"; Mid Day referred to her as "bright", arguing that she "actually manages to bring her caricature of a role alive". She next appeared in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction film Ra.One with Shahrukh Khan. The film, employing special effects previously unused in Bollywood, became the most expensive Hindi film ever produced. Despite garnering mixed reviews, Ra.One became one of the biggest earners of the year with a worldwide total of over 2 billion (US$31 million), and Kapoor's fourth major commercial success in three years.
Kapoor followed her success in Bodyguard and Ra.One with a role in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) opposite Imran Khan. Produced by Dharma Productions, the romantic comedy is set in Las Vegas and tells the story of two strangers who get married one night after getting drunk. In an interview with The Times of India, Kapoor explained that she was drawn to the qualities of her character Riana Braganza—a carefree young woman: "Riana knows what she is doing. Even though she does not have a house or a job, she is a positive person [...] very similar to the way I am." The film received positive reviews and was an economic success, grossing a total of 530 million (US$8.1 million) in India and abroad. The Hollywood Reporter found her "endearingly natural"; Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com asserted that "after doing ornamental roles in films likeBodyguard and Ra.One, it is nice to see the spunky actress in her element again since Jab We Met. Though vivacious, her Riana isn't a child-woman like Geet but a free-spirited, unflappable adult armed with plucky impulses and scrumptious smile that helps Rahul come-of-age and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tuworth a helping." She next appeared in Agent Vinod, an espionage thriller directed by Sriram Raghavan. Kapoor was enthusiastic about the project, but it met with a tepid response and she was described as miscast. When asked why she had taken the role, Kapoor described it as an opportunity to attempt something she had never done before.
For her next feature, Kapoor was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, a drama revolving around the Bollywood film industry. Originally the first choice for the role, Kapoor was hesitant to take on the project when Bhandarkar approached her with the film's initial concept With reservations about the criticism her character might evoke, she was replaced by Aishwarya Rai. Days after production began, Rai left the film (due to her pregnancy) and Bhandarkar re-approached Kapoor with the film. When the director reinforced his faith in her, she agreed to do the film after receiving the completed script. Kapoor (who described her character of Mahi Arora—a fading star—as "bipolar and schizophrenic") refrained from taking on any other projects, since she foundHeroine "very aggressive and tiring". Bollywood Hungama observed it as her best work to date noting that "[t]hough her character is inconsistent [...] Kareena furnishes the heroine's character with a rare vulnerability and an exceptional inner life." Alongside her Filmfare nomination for Best Actress, Kapoor was nominated at the annual Apsara, IIFA, Screen and Stardust award ceremonies.
Following the release of Heroine, Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan on 16 October 2012. Described as India's "wedding and social event of the year" in Rupa Subramanya's blog at The Wall Street Journal, the wedding consisted of a five-day celebration period beginning with a pre-wedding bash at Kapoor's residence followed by a registered marriage in the presence of family and close friends. A reception was later held at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Mumbai and the Lutyens Bungalow Zone in Delhi. In an interview with Zee News, Kapoor stated that despite adding Khan to her name, she would continue practising Hinduism after her marriage. At the end of the year, she co-starred alongside Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji as the "tantalisingly seductive prostitute" Rosie, in Reema Kagti's crime mystery Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's red-light districts, it follows the travails of its personnel and principal, Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Khan) who is assigned the duty of solving a mysterious car accident. With global revenues of 1.74 billion (US$27 million), the film generated predominantly positive reviews and Kapoor was praised in particular. The Telegraph described her performance as "naughty [and] nonchalan[t]," played with "an unseen mix of oomph and emotion that becomes the [film's] centrepiece".
Kapoor's next appearance was a supporting role in Prakash Jha's political drama Satyagraha (2013), a film loosely inspired by social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption in 2011. The film featured an ensemble cast and was highly anticipated by trade journalists due to its release coinciding with the Mumbai and Delhi gang rape public protests. Kapoor was cast as reporter Yasmin Ahmed and hoped that the film would help inspire people to stop violence against women in India; she said, "[W]omen’s safety right now is the biggest concern of our country [...] I feel we need to reassess our laws. The anger amongst the youth of the country is at its peak and I hope this brings about a change in society." Satyagraha received little praise from critics, though proved to be a modest success grossing over 675 million (US$10 million) domestically. A review in Filmfare praised the performances but noted that the film "does disservice to the efforts of its actors".
By September 2013, Kapoor completed filming for Punit Malhotra's romantic comedy Gori Tere Pyaar Mein; the feature is scheduled to release on 22 November 2013. She is also scheduled to appear in Karan Malhotra's Shuddhi and Akshay Roy's Badtameez Dil opposite Hrithik Roshan and Emraan Hashmi respectively.
Kareena Kapoor sexy wallpaper |