| Name | Kareena Kapoor |
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| Alt | A young Indian woman. Her face is brightly lit. She has dark brown hair falling upto her chest and is clad in a red sari. Her eyes are bluish in color and she appears to be smiling while looking at the camera. |
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| Caption | Kapoor at the Global Indian TV Honours in Mumbai, February 2008 |
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| Birth date | September 21, 1980 |
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| Birth place | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
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| Occupation | Film actress |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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| Partner | Saif Ali Khan (2007–present) |
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| Signature | KareenaKapoor sig.jpg |
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| Signature alt | "Kareena Kapoor" |
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| Website | |
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Kareena Kapoor (, pronounced ; born on September 21, 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received five Filmfare Awards and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary romantic dramas to comedies, period films to major Bollywood productions, as well as less publicised independent films.
Born into a family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age, but did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... became India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market in 2001, and is one of her biggest commercial successes to date. After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career Having done so, Kapoor has established herself as a leading actress of the Hindi film industry.
Early life and background
Born in
Mumbai, India, on September 21, 1980, into the Kapoor film family, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors
Randhir Kapoor and
Babita (
née Shivdasani); her elder sister
Karisma Kapoor, is also an actress. She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker
Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor
Prithviraj Kapoor, and niece of actor
Rishi Kapoor. Often informally referred to as
Bebo, and on her mother's side she is
Sindhi.
As a child, she had strong aspirations to become an actress, and was particularly inspired by watching the films of
Bollywood actresses
Nargis and
Meena Kumari. Kapoor, who describes herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", would regularly dress up in her mother's clothes and perform in front of the mirror. Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering the acting profession because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family. This led to a conflict between her parents and resulted in Kapoor's mother leaving the house with her two daughters. After her parents' separation, she was raised in
Lokhandwala by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991. In an interview with
Vir Sanghvi, Kapoor said that growing up in a household filled with women helped her become strong and independent. She began training at an acting institute in
Andheri, mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
Acting career
Debut and breakthrough (2000–03)
Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in
Rakesh Roshan's
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son
Hrithik Roshan. On the experience of making her first film, she described it as "...tough ... [but] also a great learning experience." and Kapoor's performance earned her the
Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. A review in
The Hindu, in regards to her performance, noted that she was "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." Kapoor next starred in
Subhash Ghai's family drama
Yaadein alongside
Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan. The drama centers on the character of Raj Singh Puri, a middle-class man, and his daughters' marriages. Kapoor played the part of the youngest daughter and Roshan's love interest, Isha Singh Puri. The film was met with negative reactions from reviewers and garnered poor box office returns. and was a moderate box office success in India. Featured opposite
Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of
Kaurwaki, a princess of
Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love, and received her first
Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Meanwhile, David Rooney from
Variety wrote, "Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like
J.Lo meets
Michelle Yeoh."
Kapoor's final release of 2001 was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., a melodrama, in which she was featured as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Karan Johar, the movie was a major financial and critical success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year, as well as Kapoor's highest-grossing movie up until then. It also performed well internationally and became the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market up until then, earning over worldwide. Kapoor's performance as "Poo", a good-natured but superficial girl, was described as "one of the main ... highlights of the film", and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Kapoor's performances were often identified by critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration.
Critical acclaim (2004–06)
(2004), Kapoor's performance earned her much acclaim and garnered her the
Filmfare Special Performance Award.]]
Following the negative period in Kapoor's career, 2004 marked the beginning of her work in more serious films, most of which would bring her critical acclaim rather than commercial success. Another reviewer, however 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 portrayal of Chameli garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award 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, a bit like the film itself which is both mysterious and voluptuous". 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.
Shortly afterwards, she was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller Fida. The film follows the story of an on-line robbery and the Mumbai underworld with which her character Neha Mehra becomes involved. During the filming of Fida, Kapoor entered into a relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life." Although the film did not succeed at the box office, Kapoor garnered 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. Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki, which was set in a psychiatric hospital, and 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 enjoyed by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting." Kapoor then was cast in the romance . While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.
In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. 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 embraced by critics and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award; 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.
Following Omkara, she stopped acting for a short time, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes". She later described this period as a way to "relax and unwind" herself.
Jab We Met and other works (2007–present)
Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious
Sikh girl with a strong zest for life, in the
Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy
Jab We Met (2007). 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 one of the year's most successful films, with a domestic box office of . She won several awards for her performance, including the
Filmfare Award for Best Actress and her second
Star Screen Award for Best Actress. While shooting for
Jab We Met, Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship. Asked in
Mumbai Mirror about their well-publicized break-up, she stated that "I hold him in utmost regard, and I hope one day we could be good friends. He is a great guy." the film eventually became 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. It was the second
Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a
Hollywood studio. In preparation for the role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor then appeared in
Rohit Shetty's comedy
Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film
Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgn,
Arshad Warsi and
Tusshar Kapoor, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received ambivalent reception from critics 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 internationally. The film earned over worldwide, but was a critical failure. She next starred in Prem Soni's directorial debut,
Main Aurr Mrs Khanna. Kapoor featured as the protagonist, Raina Khanna, a woman who becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, and therefore struggles with her marriage. The film was critically and financially unsuccessful, with the
Daily News and Analysis concluding that "Kapoor shows moments of the talent we associate with her, but then slumps with a silly drunken scene or by just smiling beatifically through emotional moments."
Following
Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Kapoor's next release was
Kurbaan, a dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of
global terrorism. It was directed by Rensil D'Silva and written by
Karan Johar, co-starring Saif Ali Khan,
Vivek Oberoi,
Om Puri and
Kirron Kher. Kapoor played the role of Avantika Ahuja, a woman who is confined to
house arrest after finding out that her husband is a terrorist. She described the film as "an emotionally draining experience", which did not let her disconnect from her character during shooting.
Her final release of 2009 was Rajkumar Hirani's drama 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 starred as Pia, an independent-minded medical student and Khan's love interest. On acting alongside Khan, Kapoor revealed that it was "a dream come true" and further stated that her journey as an actress was "finally complete". The feature received much critical devotion and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing at the Indian box office. Rediff.com opined that Kapoor dazzled with her "brief role, and even though a lot of her spunk seems significantly Jab We Met in tone, she lights up the screen when she is around." During the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received another Best Actress nomination for her role. The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Kapoor's role was small and was not well-received. Prior on commencing work for the project, Kapoor explained that she did not want to watch Stepmom in an attempt to "interpret the role...in my own style". At the same time, The New York Times noted: "Kapoor [...] manages to make something of a role that often beggars belief." She followed with the leading female role in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal 3, the sequel to the 2008 release Golmaal Returns. A part of an ensemble cast that included most of the actors from the previous film, the project was met with mixed reactions from reviewers, though became the most successful entry in the Golmaal film series, earning more than domestically. A review in MiD DAY described Kapoor's portrayal of the tomboy Daboo as "[the film's]...real hero...who takes the story forward."
Kapoor is scheduled to appear in a leading role in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction Ra.One. The film, which stars her alongside Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Rampal began filming in India in March 2010. She is also set to star opposite Saif Ali Khan in Sriram Raghavan's action-thriller Agent Vinod. At the end of the year, she performed alongside several Bollywood stars at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, for the show Now or Never. Four years later, 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 concert was showcased in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and went on to become a success.
In 2008, Kapoor participated in Shahrukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Several months later, she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena.
Humanitarian work
During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the
Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, while 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. The following year, Kapoor, along with
Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of 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 Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home. In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of from
10 Ka Dum to the old age home.
At the end of 2009, Kapoor joined the efforts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to create awareness about cleanliness. The project consisted of a group of individuals who would be responsible for interacting with the shopkeepers and residents of Nehru Nagar, to support a door-to-door campaign for the collection of garbage. The following year, Kapoor attended the NDTV Greenathon, where she adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide them with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. She said, "You want to live in an environment that is clean [and] healthy, and especially now everything affects the society so much. Actors have a voice, which can be heard and I am really happy that Priyanka [Chopra] has taken this iniative of being a brand ambassador. When our voice can be heard, we should use it and I am really happy that we all are spreading this awareness."
Clothing line
In August 2007, Kapoor replaced actress
Soha Ali Khan, when she was hired as the brand ambassador for the clothing chain
Globus on a two-year contract. Vinay Nadkarni, CEO of Globus Stores Pvt Ltd, explained that in an attempt to move away from being a multi-branded retail chain to adopting a single brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different brand ambassador for its new business ventures. On being appointed by Globus, Kapoor commented, "I am delighted to be the face of Globus [...] I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation".
In February 2008, Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, thus becoming the first Indian actress to do so. She said, "I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for".
Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kapoor expressed her desire of working with an international design house from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in France, to release her clothing line internationally. In January 2010, she explained that "I have the plans in place [and] I just have to execute them". However, Kapoor later noted that due to her prior commitments, her "plans [...] have had to take a backseat".
In the media
in February 2008]]
Hailing from a family deeply involved in the Bollywood film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000. Kapoor's off-screen life has been subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her weight and diet. her relationship with Khan has become one of the most reported celebrity stories in India since 2007. Her off-screen image has been open to much debate and criticism. While a section of the press has described her as friendly and extremely close to her family, She subsequently went on to play similar type of characters in her films from 2002–03, which further established her off-screen as well as her on-screen image as an actress. Following the release of Chameli, which helped her gain a new on-screen image,
at the 2009 India Couture Week]]
In 2004, Kapoor appeared third on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. She has been featured frequently on other Rediff lists, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses", and "Women of Many Faces". During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst she later appeared along with Shahid Kapoor in 2007 and 2010 respectively. In 2006, she was chosen to model and walk the runway for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the Fashion Week 2006, along with actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. Three years later, Kapoor once again walked the runway for Malhotra's bridal collection titled Destination Wedding during the 2009 India Couture Week.
Today, Kapoor is considered as one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India. Her look and performances have established her as a style icon for young girls and women. In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper
DNA, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons. According to the UK magazine
Eastern Eye, Kapoor was ranked fourth in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2009; she had been previously ranked eighth in 2007 and third in 2008. She became the only actress to be featured on
CNNGo's list of "Who Mattered Most in India" and was described as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by
People in 2010. In July 2010, Kapoor was placed eighth in
Filmfare Magazine's annual power list, an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten.
Filmography
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9;
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! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
References
Further reading
, ,
External links
Category:1980 births
Category:Indian film actors
Category:Hindi film actors
Category:People from Mumbai
Category:Punjabi people
Category:Indian vegetarians
Category:Filmfare Awards winners
Category:Living people
