Early life and family
Kapoor family
Born in Mumbai, India into the Kapoor film family of Punjabi
Khatri origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and
Babita (née Shivdasani). She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj
Kapoor, great-granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor, sister of actress Karisma
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 also often informally referred to
as Bebo.
As children, the Kapoor sisters dreamed of becoming
actresses. Kapoor was particularly inspired by the Bollywood actresses Nargis
and Meena Kumari. However, despite her family background, her father
disapproved of women acting because he believed it to be incompatible with
their duty to the family. This led to conflict between her parents, and
Kapoor's mother ultimately left her father. Kapoor was raised in Lokhandwala by
her mother who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma
debuted as an actress in 1991.
Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before
progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. She studied commerce
for two years at the Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai. However, she
disliked her term there and studied only because she was close to her family.
Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at
Harvard University in the United States. She later developed an interest in law
and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate. However, after
completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor returned to her initial plan to
become an actress. She trained at the Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute,
mentored by Kishor Namit Kapoor.
Career
Debut and breakthrough, 2000-2003
Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh
Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan.
However, several days into the filming, she abandoned the project and later
explained that "It was probably destined that I was not to be in the film.
After all, it was a launch for his son. The whole focus was on the boy. Now I am
glad I did not do the movie."
Kapoor made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war
drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a
man known simply as Refugee (played by debutant Abhishek Bachchan) who
illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border.
Kapoor played Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Refugee while
illegally migrating to Pakistan. Her debut performance was acclaimed by
critics; Taran Adarsh of indiaFM wrote, "Kareena 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’s
no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera
friendly." Refugee was the fifth-highest grossing film in India in 2000,
and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.
Kapoor's first role in 2001 was in the romantic drama Mujhe
Kucch Kehna Hai, which became one of the highest earners of the year. The Hindu
noted that, "Kareena is definitely the actress to watch out for, if her
debut with Abhishek in Refugee and now Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai are any
indication… Kareena shines throughout the flick, with the grace of a seasoned
sizzler already." However, subsequent releases such as Yaadein and Ajnabee
were both critical and commercial failures.
Later in the year, she starred in Santosh Sivan's period
epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. The
film had a strong release in the United Kingdom and North America, and was
screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film
Festival.
Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor
portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka
falls in love. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's
performance received a mixed reaction from some critics. A review on Rediff.com
said, "While a large portion of the first half is focused on the emerging
romance between the runaway prince and herself and to their credit they do
manage to whip up some on-screen chemistry, I am still unsure as to her acting
abilities". Nonetheless, her performance was praised by some critics and
earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.
Kapoor's final release of 2001 was the drama Kabhi Khushi
Kabhie Gham, directed by Karan Johar. The film, which featured an ensemble
cast, emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and
Kapoor's biggest commercial success, with a domestic total of Rs 490 million
(US$ 9.83 million). It also became the year's top-grossing Bollywood film
overseas and second highest-grossing film of all time, earning over Rs 350
million (US$ 7.02 million). Her performance as "Poo" was well
received by critics, and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.
During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a slump in her
career. She featured in six films — 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 — all of which proved critically and commercially
unsuccessful in India. Kapoor's performances were often identified by many
critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. They expressed
concern that she was becoming typecast but these negative reviews were
fundamental in motivating her to improve her integrity as an actress in
subsequent years by accepting more demanding roles.
Turning point, 2004–2006
Kapoor as the prostitute "Chameli" in Chameli
(2004).
In 2004, Kapoor began to take roles in more serious films,
which garnered critical acclaim rather than commercial success. In Sudhir
Mishra's Chameli, she played a prostitute who forms a relationship with a
widowed investment banker as they share their devastating life experiences.
Both the film and Kapoor's performance were well-received by critics, with the
Indiatimes praising Kapoor's "intuitive brilliance" and stating that
she had exceeded all expectations. However, another reviewer expressed concern that
they found her portrayal unconvincing and excessively stereotypical, describing
her as, "sounding more like a teenager playacting than a brash, hardened
streetwalker" and likening her mannerisms to that of a caricature.
Nonetheless, Kapoor's performance garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance
Award and marked a change in direction in her career as an actress.
Kapoor then appeared opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen
Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed Dev, which featured her as a vocalist
for a song for the first time in her career. The drama centres 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 Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery
case. She earned a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, as well as
nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh
commented, "Kareena Kapoor is first-rate. Sporting a deglamorized look,
the actress takes a giant leap with this film. Her scene with Amitabh Bachchan
(when the latter asks for witnesses to come forward) is an example of superb
acting."
Shortly afterwards, Kapoor was cast in her first villainous
role in the thriller Fida opposite Shahid Kapoor and Fardeen Khan. The film
deals with Internet theft and the Mumbai underworld. Although the film failed
commercially, Kapoor received positive reviews for her performance, with some
critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles. Her subsequent
releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's moderately successful thriller
Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since
2002.
In 2005, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred
in the Dharmesh Darshan directed drama Bewafaa. Kapoor played the role of the
Indo-Canadian Anjali, who marries her sister's husband after her death, but is
unsatisfied with the ensuing married life and resumes a relationship with her
previous boyfriend. Both the film and Kapoor's performance were received poorly
by critics. Nikhat Kazmi of Indiatimes believed that in an effort to become a
serious actress, Kapoor was embodying a maturer, more jaded character ahead of
her years in Bewafaa which appeared peculiar for a young girl of her age. Later
in the year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki. The drama,
set in a psychiatric hospital, relates the love story of a mentally ill
patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film
was a box office failure, though Kapoor's performance was generally
well-received by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying
that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting."Kapoor then featured
in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, and
Lara Dutta. While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing
Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.
In 2006, Kapoor starred in a thriller 36 China Town and a
comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed
the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in the Hindi adaptation of William
Shakespeare's Othello, Omkara. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a
tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in
Uttar Pradesh. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also
selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was
well-received by critics and Kapoor's performance was critically acclaimed,
earning her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com
concluded, "Her character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes
through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and
submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments
demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers." Kapoor herself
considers her role in Omkara as a "new benchmark" in her career and
has made comparisons between her portrayal of Dolly and her own evolving
maturity as a woman. Later that year, she appeared in an item number in Farhan
Akhtar's Don - The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 film Don. Although
Kapoor's performance was generally well-received, critics commented that she
did not perform the role as well as Helen did in the original version.
Recent work, 2012–present
Kapoor (as Geet Dhillon) with Shahid Kapoor in Jab We Met
(2007), which earned the actress a Filmfare Best Actress Award.
In 2007, Kapoor starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz
Ali's romantic comedy Jab We Met. The film tells the story of two people with
contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love.
Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a
strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became
one of the year's most successful films, earning a domestic total of Rs 303
million (US$ 6.08 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance,
including a Filmfare Best Actress Award and her second Star Screen Award for
Best Actress.
In 2008, Kapoor featured alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali
Khan, and Anil Kapoor in the action-thriller Tashan. Though an indiaFM poll
named it the most anticipated film of 2008, Tashan failed at the box-office. It
received mixed reviews, and many critics emphasised weaknesses in the script.
Kapoor 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. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a
North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for her role,
Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered
their dialogues. Kapoor was criticised for failing to promote the film as she
ventured into other projects.
Kapoor next starred in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns,
the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included
Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora,
Celina Jaitley, and Anjana Sukhani, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who
believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film and Kapoor herself received
mixed reviews. The Indian Express believed the screenplay was unoriginal,
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 nonetheless a major financial
success, with revenues of over Rs 500 million (US$ 10.03 million) domestically.
As of March 2009, Kapoor has completed filming for the
romantic drama Kambakkht Ishq alongside Akshay Kumar. It is the first Indian
film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California and
features several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. She has also
completed filming Prem Soni's drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna in which she is to
star alongside Salman Khan. Kapoor was also cast as the lead in Rajkumar
Hirani's Three Idiots, which began principal photography in July 2008. The
romantic comedy film Milenge Milenge is also scheduled for a late 2009 release,
having been postponed since 2005.
Other work
During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also
devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes
to participating in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world
tour, the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun
Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and
Canada and went on to become a success. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the
Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World
Youth Peace Summit, whilst in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took
part in the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.Later that year, she visited the desert heartland
of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend
episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and
stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team.
In 2006, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world
tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha
Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka
Chopra, donated her half-share of five million rupees from her winnings on Kaun
Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St.
Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared
on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif
Ali Khan, and donated half of her Rs. 500,000 (US$ 10,030) winnings to St. Anthony's
Old Age Home, Bandra.
Kapoor has endorsed several brands, including Kurkure and
the clothing chain Globus. Kapoor is the Globus brand ambassador and features
in its advertisements; since her start, the brand has experienced a 75 percent
increase in sales.
Personal life
Kapoor with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan at the 53rd Filmfare
Awards ceremony in 2008.
Kapoor has been linked to several of her co-stars, but she
has denied all these rumors. In 2004, she began dating actor Shahid Kapoor, the
son of veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor. While dating, their relationship was often
reported in the media until the couple separated while filming Jab We Met in
2007. Although the parting was amicable, the press continues to report
conflicts between the former couple and their new partners. In September 2007,
during her breakup with Kapoor, speculation began surfacing that she was
engaged in a new relationship with Saif Ali Khan. On October 18, 2007, during
Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their
relationship to the media. Their relationship is frequently reported on in the
media, and is often subject to press contemplation of a possible marriage
between the couple.
Kapoor is very close to her family and has resided with her
mother Babita for much of her life. Kapoor and her mother lived together in
Lokhandwala and then at Park Avenue in Bandra, Mumbai for several years, and in
2008 Kapoor and her mother purchased adjacent flats in Khar, Mumbai designed by
Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna. Kapoor says she is an avid reader and
swimmer in her leisure time.
Kapoor's weight and diet have often been scrutinized by the
media. In 2006, Kapoor declared that she was becoming a vegetarian to keep her
weight in check. Kapoor has denied rumours that she is suffering from anorexia
and has attributed her weight loss to yoga and a closely-monitored, balanced
diet. When Kapoor lost weight and collapsed on set during the filming of Tashan
in 2008, media speculation about her health was rampant. She dismissed the
incident as a minor health scare.
In the media
Kapoor making an appearance on the singing talent contest Sa
Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007.
Hailing from a family deeply involved in the film industry,
Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her
acting debut until 2000. As a child, Kapoor attended award ceremonies and
events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also
accompany her sister on set during filming. In previous years, in response to
media speculation, Kapoor had developed a nonchalant relationship with the
media and gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life
with the press with few reservations.
During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan
Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst two years
later she appeared along with Shahid Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. The following
year, she appeared as a guest judge along with Priyanka Chopra on the singing
talent contest Indian Idol 2. Several months later, Kapoor was chosen alongside
actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar to model and walk the ramp for
designer Manish Malhotra's fashion display, titled Freedom, during Fashion Week
2006. In June 2008, Kapoor modelled once again for Manish Malhotra's fashion
display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza. In 2007, Kapoor was among
several Bollywood celebrities to perform at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev’s
Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh.
Kapoor annually features in many polls in the media. In
2004, she was ranked third on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars".
She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back
to the third position in 2007. In February 2007, Kapoor appeared fourth on
Indiatimes list of "Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood", and later
that year, the actress was ranked eighth by the U.K. magazine Eastern Eye as
one of "Asia's Sexiest Women". Kapoor has also won numerous
vegetarian online polls, being declared the female winner of PETA India's
"Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities" successively in 2007 and 2008. In
March 2009, she became the only woman to be featured on Filmfare Magazine's
annual "Power List", a list of the ten most powerful people of
Bollywood.
Filmography
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Kareena
Kapoor
Year
Film
Role
Other notes
2000
Refugee
Nazneen "Naaz" M. Ahmed
Winner, Filmfare Best Female Debut Award
2001
Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
Pooja Saxena
Yaadein
Isha Singh Puri
Ajnabee
Priya Malhotra
Asoka
Kaurwaki
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Pooja "Poo" Sharma
Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2002
Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
Tina Kapoor
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Pooja/Pinky
2003
Talaash: The Hunt Begins...
Tina
Khushi
Khushi Singh (Lali)
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
Sanjana
LOC Kargil
Simran
2004
Chameli
Chameli
Winner, Filmfare Special Performance Award
Yuva
Mira
Dev
Aaliya
Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Fida
Neha Mehra
First villain role
Aitraaz
Priya Saxena/Malhotra
Hulchul
Anjali
2005
Bewafaa
Anjali Sahai
Kyon Ki
Dr. Tanvi Khurana
Dosti: Friends Forever
Anjali
2006
36 China Town
Priya
Chup Chup Ke
Shruti
Omkara
Dolly R. Mishra
Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best
PerformanceNominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Don - The Chase Begins Again
Kamini
Cameo
2007
Kya Love Story Hai
Herself
Special appearance in song It's Rocking
Jab We Met
Geet Dhillon
Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2008
Halla Bol
Herself
Special appearance
Tashan
Pooja Singh
Roadside Romeo
Laila (voice)
Voice over for first animated film
Golmaal Returns
Ekta
2009
Luck by Chance
Herself
Special appearance
Billu
Herself
Special appearance in song Marjaani
Kambakkht Ishq
Simrita Rai
Post-production
Main Aur Mrs. Khanna
Raina Khanna
Post-production
Milenge Milenge
Priya
Post-production
Three Idiots
Filming
Qurbaan
Filming
No comments:
Post a Comment