Look up item or items in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Item may refer to:

Organizations[link]

• ITeM, refers to the Uruguay-based Third World Institute (ITeM), going by its Spanish acronym Instituto del Tercer Mundo
• ITEM club, an economic forecasting group based in the United Kingdom

Newspapers[link]

• The Item, an American independent, morning newspaper published in Sumter, South Carolina
• The Huntsville Item, an American seven-day morning daily newspaper published in Huntsville, Texas
• Picayune Item, a American five-day daily newspaper published in Picayune, Mississippi

Other uses[link]

• Item (gaming), the objects in a video game collected by the player character to increase the score or progress through the story
• Item (EP), first release by the band Onetwo
• Digital Item, the basic unit of transaction in the MPEG-21 framework

See also[link]

• All pages with titles containing "Item"
• All pages beginning with "Item"
• The Daily Item (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Not to be confused with pornographic actress Sunny Lane.

Sunny Leone
Sunny Leone at the AVN Expo, Las Vegas, NV on January 20, 2012
Born	(1981-05-13) May 13, 1981 (age 31)[1] Sarnia, Ontario, Canada[2]
Nationality	Canadian/American
Ethnicity	Punjabi[3]
Height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[1][2]
Weight	110 lb (50 kg; 7.9 st)[1][2]
Spouse	Daniel Weber (2011-present)[4]
No. of adult films	33 as actress, 25 as director (per IAFD)[5]
Website
http://www.sunnyleone.com/

Sunny Leone (born May 13, 1981)^[1] is an Indo-Canadian pornographic actress, actress, businesswoman and model of dual Canadian/American nationality. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003 and was a contract star for Vivid Entertainment. Named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010, she has also played roles in independent mainstream films and television shows.

Early life[link]

Leone was born in Sarnia, Ontario to Sikh Punjabi parents from India.^[3] Her father was born in Tibet and raised in Delhi, while her mother (who died in 2008^[6]) was from a small town named Nahan in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh.^[3][7] As a young girl, she was very athletic and played street hockey with the boys,^[2] enjoyed ice skating on a nearby frozen lake and drinking hot chocolate in front of a fire after playing in the snow all day.^[8]

Though she was raised as a Sikh,^[3] her parents enrolled her in a Catholic school,^[3][9] as it was felt to be unsafe for her to go to public school.^[10] There she had her first kiss at 11, lost her virginity to a basketball player at another school at 16,^[9] and discovered that she was bisexual at 18.^[11] When she was 13, her family moved to Fort Gratiot, Michigan, then to Lake Forest, California a year later,^[9][12] fulfilling her grandparents' dream that the family be together in one place.^[3] She graduated from high school in 1999 and enrolled in college.

Career[link]

Before working in the porn industry, she first worked at a German bakery,^[13] a Jiffy Lube,^[9] and later a tax and retirement firm.^[14]

Leone at the 2002 Adult Entertainment Expo, one of her earliest promotional appearances

While studying to be a pediatric nurse in Orange County, a classmate who was an exotic dancer introduced Leone to John Stevens, an agent who in turn introduced her to Jay Allen, a photographer for Penthouse magazine.^[7] When picking a name for her adult career, she has said that Sunny is her real name and Leone was picked by Bob Guccione, former owner of Penthouse magazine.^[15] She posed for Penthouse magazine, and was named Penthouse Pet of the Month for the March 2001 issue, followed by a feature in the Holiday 2001 edition of Hustler magazine as a Hustler Honey. She has appeared in other magazines including Cheri,^[16] Mystique Magazine,^[17] High Society, Swank, AVN Online, Leg World, Club International and Lowrider,^[18][19] while her online credits include ModFX Models,^[20] Suze Randall,^[21] Ken Marcus^[22] and Mac & Bumble.^[23] Her pictorial credits also include working with stars like Adriana Sage, Jenna Jameson, Jelena Jensen and Aria Giovanni.

In 2003, she was declared the Penthouse Pet of the Year and also starred in the video Penthouse Pets in Paradise alongside Tera Patrick and Kyla Cole. In 2005 Adam & Eve appointed her as their West Coast Internet Sales Representative.^[24]

That same year, Leone signed a three-year contract with Vivid Entertainment with which she transitioned into the world of hardcore pornography, stating that she would only do lesbian scenes.^[2] Her first movie released was titled Sunny^[25] and was released in December 2005. Her next movie, Virtual Vivid Girl Sunny Leone, was the first interactive title for Leone, who was the first Vivid Girl to make such a movie.^[26] Taking only four days to film,^[13] the movie won her her first AVN Award (Best Interactive DVD). She followed this with Sunny Loves Cher, which featured her first on-screen squirting,and The Female Gardner co-starring Mikayla Mendez and Daisy Marie.

Leone's last two movies under her contract with Vivid were It's Sunny in Brazil, which was filmed in Brazil.^[27] and The Sunny Experiment also starring Monique Alexander and Brea Lynn.^[28] The movies were released in October and December 2007 respectively.

In May 2007, upon re-signing her contract with Vivid for another six films, Leone agreed to perform for the first time with men on camera, but exclusively with her fiancé, Matt Erikson.^[29] That summer she also received breast augmentation,^[30] and shot her first movie under the new contract titled Sunny Loves Matt. The movie led to her to be nominated for three (out of six) AVN awards in 2009 in addition to being a choice for Female Performer of the Year.^[31] She followed up her first boy-girl title with The Other Side of Sunny in October 2008, which would be the last time she would perform with Erikson.

Leone at Vivid booth during the 2008 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas

In January 2008, Leone revealed that she was no longer exclusive to Erikson, and had done scenes with other actors, most notably Tommy Gunn, Charles Dera, James Deen^[32] and Voodoo.^[33] In August of that same year, she announced the launch of her own studio, Sunlust Pictures, with Daniel Weber as her partner.^[34] With her new venture Leone plans to write, direct and create her own brand of adult movies with Vivid Entertainment as her distributor.^[32] Her first independent production, The Dark Side of the Sun, was released in March 2009, and was debuted at the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas.^[35] In June 2009, she held a casting call in Las Vegas for her second independent production titled Sunny Slumber Party^[36] (released September 2009).

No longer exclusive to Vivid, Leone has started working with other studios and performers since 2009. She has managed to leverage her online popularity by striking deals with firms like PPPcard,^[37] AdultPokerParty.com,^[38] Brickhouse,^[39] Flirt4Free,^[40] Totemcash^[41] and Imlive^[42] to sell and distribute her content over the internet and other media.She won the "Web Babe of the Year" at the 2008 Xbiz Awards.^[43] Her websites and business interests are run under her banner company Leone L.L.C.

In addition to her film career, Leone has been part of the Vivid Comedy Tour,^[44] and has modelled for the Vivid Footwear collection.^[45] Leone has also participated in events like the Vivid/ClubJenna Lingerie Bowl^[46] and Vivid's Hot Rod Night.^[47] Doc Johnson launched a pocket pal^{[clarification needed]} in 2006 moulded to her vagina,^[48] and in 2008 released the Sunny Leone Exciter vibrator.^[49] Control MFG currently uses Leone's image along with other Vivid girls to market their line of skateboards. She is paired with Gab Ekoe, one of the Team Control riders.^[50] She also indicated that she plans to launch her own line of lingerie and other Sunny-branded products including a diamond jewellery line.^[32]

In September 2009, an iPhone application consisting of a collection of non-nude photos, some videos and a porn star-penned blog^[51] was approved by Apple for sale in the iTunes store, making it the first officially sanctioned application featuring a porn star.^[52] By February 2010, the app had been removed by Apple from the store.^[53]

Leone was voted number 13 (up from number 41 in 2007^[54]) on Genesis magazine's "Top 100 Porn stars" list,^[55] number 34 on Desiclubs.com's Top 50 Coolest Desis of 2004,^[56] and one of the "40 under 40" ranking on AVN Online magazine.^[57] In 2010, she was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top female stars in porn.^[58]

Mainstream appearances[link]

Leone's first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she was a red carpet reporter for the MTV Awards on MTV India. She has also had a cameo in the film The Girl Next Door, performed in Ja Rule's video "Livin It Up" and a video for Kidd Skilly.^[59] Other credits include E!'s "Wild On!" and the Sundance Film Festival's 'After Dark.'^[60] Leone was a contestant in the second season of the Fox reality show My Bare Lady 2: Open For Business, in which a group of adult actresses were given classes and training on how to pitch investment ideas and competed for success in the business world.^[61] In addition to filming her scene for Debbie Does Dallas in 2007, Leone was also part of a Showtime documentary of the same name detailing the production of the movie and the personal lives of its stars.

She has indicated that for the right price she would seriously consider a career in Bollywood.^[62] She has been courted by Indian directors in the past but has felt uncomfortable with the roles that she would have played.^[15][63] Director Mohit Suri is rumored to have asked Leone to play the lead role in his movie Kalyug, but instead cast Deepal Shaw as he could not afford her $1 million acting fee.^[64] She has mentioned that Aamir Khan is her favorite Bollywood Actor,^[65] and that over 60% of her fans are from South Asia.^[66]

In 2008, Leone announced that she would be starring in a mainstream action adventure movie titled Pirates Blood, which was shot in Oman. The shooting was completed in two weeks and was to be released in winter 2008.^[67][68] Leone also landed a role in Middle Men, producer Chris Mallick's indie feature about the birth of the online porn industry set for wide theatrical release in 2009.^[69] She has mentioned that she will be appearing in an upcoming Will Ferrell movie scheduled to be released in 2010.^[70]

She appeared in the film The Virginity Hit playing a version of herself, where she is hired to take the virginity of the lead character.^[71]

Leone has made appearances at events such as the 2002 SEMA International Auto Salon, the 2002 Extreme Autofest Pomona and the 2006 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.^[72] Sunny has also been the hostess at events in clubs like the Mansion in Miami^[73] and the Highlands in Hollywood.^[74]

In 2005, she was mentioned in Forbes magazine for a story on Vivid Entertainment.^[75] Leone has also been featured in mainstream publications like FHM, Front and Jane magazine.^[76] In 2007, along with the other Vivid Girls, she was seen in a 48' high holiday Billboard in Times Square at W. 48th Street and Seventh Avenue.^[77] Leone is also one of the Penthouse Pets who appears in the PlayStation Portable game Pocket Pool. She was also featured in a coffee table book titled Naked Ambition: An R Rated Look at an X Rated Industry by Micheal Grecco.^[78]

In 2004, she was part of "No More Bush Girls", in which she and several other popular adult actresses shaved off their pubic hair in protest of the Bush presidency.^[79] In May 2008, she shot a promotional video for Declare Yourself, a nonprofit, nonpartisan voter registration campaign targeting 18-to-29-year-olds.^[80] She indicated that Barack Obama would be her choice in the 2008 U.S. election, primarily because she felt he was more business friendly to the adult industry than his opponent John McCain.^[81] She also released a public service announcement on behalf of the ASACP, reminding adult webmasters to protect their sites from children by having an RTA label on it.^[82]

Leone has a strong interest in health and fitness, and has been featured in several mainstream fitness publications. Leone has modelled fitness clothing for the sports brand Fantasy Fitness^[83] and shared that she keeps her body in shape by working out as much as she can despite her busy schedule and as quoted in Men's Fitness magazine, "I try to eat very healthy – lots of vegetables, drinking my milk every day."^[84]

Bigg Boss[link]

In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality series Bigg Boss, entering the house on day 49.^[85][86] However she refused to divulge her porn star status, and replied to fellow house-mate Pooja Bedi that she was a model and a TV star in America for the last ten years or so.^[87] It was reported that she has caused a stir in the larger populace^[88] with her Twitter feed gaining 8,000 new followers in just 2 days^[89] and Google saying searches for her experienced a "breakout".^[90] There have also been complaints lodged with the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting alleging that the Colors TV channel is promoting pornography by having Leone appear on the show; among those who have filed are the Indian Artistes and Actors Forum^[91] and Anurag Thakur, member of Lok Sabha and head of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing.^[92]

Bollywood[link]

During her stay in the Bigg Boss house, Sunny was approached by a famous Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt who entered the house briefly to offer her the lead role in Jism 2 (the sequel to the 2003 film Jism starring Bipasha Basu). She accepted it, which will result in Pooja Bhatt’s production house, Fish Eye Network and Leone’s agent discussing the movie further.^[93] The first look of the film Jism 2 poster was released anticipating the actress entry in Bollywood.^[94]

Sunny Leone signed her second Bollywood film which is Ekta Kapoor's Ragini MMS sequel. Ragini MMS, a crossover horror movie was one of the most talked about sleeper hits of 2011.^[95]

Personal life[link]

In June 2006, Leone became an American citizen,^[13] but plans to remain a dual citizen of Canada.^[96] Although bisexual, she has stated that she prefers men.^[97] In her spare time she enjoys abstract paintings, horse riding, reading, playing World of Warcraft,^[98] watching The Simpsons and the Discovery Channel.^[99] She used to play on a women's soccer league team in California.^[2] Her favourite holiday destination is Hawaii,^[13] and her favourite cuisine is Italian.^[99]

In separate interviews, she has stated that in ten years' time she would like to be married and have started a family, and probably retire from the industry by the time she is 30.^[96] Leone was engaged to Matt Erikson, a vice-president of marketing at Playboy Enterprises.^[12] She currently resides in Hollywood, California with her cat and drives an Audi A5.^[9]

She mentioned in an interview at the start of 2011 that she was married to Daniel Weber.^[100] During her stay in the Bigg Boss house later that same year, Leone indicated that the relationship had by revealing that she had been previously married; she had ‘purposely arrived late’ to their first date as she was not impressed with him, but he changed her mind by sending 24 roses to her hotel room.^[101]

In 2010, Leone's father died of cancer, which he had been first diagnosed with in 1999. In 2011, Leone along with Monique Alexander and Keni Styles ran in the Rock n’ Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society.^[102][103]

A 2008 Eye Weekly article reported that "Leone does her best to maintain a link to Sikh traditions, even if more in theory than in practice. But she's unlikely to disavow her career path due to religion." and that Leone said "Girls will leave the industry claiming that they found God. Well, the fact is, God has always been with them the entire time."^[104] In a 2010 interview, she said "It’s a community-based religion. You walk into a temple and you’re greeted with the utmost respect... But, just like any religion it doesn’t want you to shoot adult material. I mean, I grew up going to temple every Sunday. When my parents found out they knew my personality which was very independent. Even if they tried to stop me or tried to steer me the right way they would have lost their daughter. I’m too headstrong. And it wasn’t a plan. It just happened and my career and everything just kept getting bigger and bigger."^[10]

Awards[link]

• 2008 XBIZ Award – Web Babe of the Year ^[105]
• 2010 AVN Award – Best All-Girl Group Sex Scene
• 2010 AVN Award – Web Starlet of the Year^[106]
• 2010 F.A.M.E. Award – Favorite Breasts^[107]
• 2012 XBIZ Award — Porn Star Site of the Year (SunnyLeone.com)^[108]

See also[link]

Pornography portal

• List of porn stars who appeared in mainstream films

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sunny Leone

• Official website
• Sunny Leone at the Internet Movie Database
• Sunny Leone at the Internet Adult Film Database
• Sunny Leone at the Adult Film Database
• Sunny Leone's channel on YouTube
• Sunny Leone on Twitter

Kareena Kapoor
Kapoor at the launch of Gitanjali Group's jewellery collection, "Parineeta", June 2010
Born	(1980-09-21) 21 September 1980 (age 31) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Film actress, Model
Years active	2000–present
Partner	Saif Ali Khan (2007–present)
Signature
Website
www.kareenakapoor.me

Kareena Kapoor (pronounced [kəˈriːnaː kəˈpuːr]; born on 21 September 1980),^[1] often informally referred to as Bebo,^[2] is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor 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.^[3][4]

Born into a family where her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and 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.^[5] After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast,^[6] and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress.^[7][8] Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and she was later noted for her performances in the critically acclaimed projects Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).^[6] She went on to play the lead female role in the Imtiaz Ali-directed romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007), for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and the drama 3 Idiots (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.^[9]

Inspired by Bollywood actresses like Nargis and Meena Kumari, as well as her sister Karisma, Kapoor is well-recognized for her fashion style and her film roles, both of which have contributed in making her a style icon for young girls and women.^[10] Her contributions to the film industry have garnered her numerous achievements including six Filmfare Awards, among nine nominations,^[11] making her a leading actress of Hindi cinema.^[3][8] In addition to film acting, Kapoor is a regular stage performer and has launched her own clothing line in association with being the former brand ambassador for the retail chain Globus. Her off-screen life, including her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan, is the subject of wide media coverage in India.^[7][12]

Early life and background[link]

Born in Mumbai, India, on 21 September 1980, into the Kapoor film family, Kapoor is the younger daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma, is also an actress. Often informally referred to as Bebo,^[2] she is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor.^[1] According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her.^[13] She is of Punjabi descent from her father's side^[14] and on her mother's side she is Sindhi.^[15]

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.^[16] 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.^[17] 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.^[10] This led to a conflict between her parents and resulted in Kapoor's mother leaving the house with her daughters.^[18] 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.^[19] In an interview with Vir Sanghvi, Kapoor said that growing up in a household filled with women helped her become strong and independent.^[17] Following her parents' reconciliation in October 2007,^[18] Kapoor explained that they "were never officially divorced ... [but] ... liv[ed] separately."^[19] Asked about the relationship she shared with her father, Kapoor remarked, "My father is ... an important factor in my life. [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now."^[19]

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun.^[16] She later recalled, "I learnt so much from being at Welham", and described her experience there as "one of the finest parts of my life".^[17] According to Kapoor, she was a good student and received first-class honours in all subjects except mathematics.^[17] Upon graduating from the boarding school, she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai, but later confessed that she only studied there because she was close to her family.^[16] Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States.^[16] She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate; during this period she became immersed in law books and developed a long-lasting passion for reading.^[16] However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor realized that she was not inclined towards academics and returned to her initial plan to become an actress.^[17][20] 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).^[21]

Acting career[link]

2000–03: Debut and breakthrough[link]

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan.^[16] Several days into the filming, however, 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."^[16]

She made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war drama Refugee, alongside Abhishek Bachchan. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man known simply as "Refugee", who illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Refugee 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."^[22] On the experience of making her first film, she described it as "...tough ... [but] also a great learning experience."^[16] Refugee became the fifth highest-grossing film in India in 2000,^[23] and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.^[11]

In 2001, Kapoor appeared opposite Tusshar Kapoor in the romantic drama Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, which became one of the highest earners of the year.^[24] 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."^[25] She 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.^[24] Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan thriller Ajnabee. The feature was adapted from the 1992 American thriller film Consenting Adults,^[26] and was a moderate box office success in India.^[24]

Later in the year, she played the female lead in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. It was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.^[27] 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.^[11] While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's performance received a mixed reaction from critics. Rediff.com concluded that "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."^[28] 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."^[29]

Her final release of 2001 was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., a melodrama, in which she featured as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Karan Johar, the film was a major financial success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year, as well as Kapoor's highest-grossing film up until then. It also performed well internationally and became one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over 1,000 million (US$19.95 million) worldwide.^[30] Kapoor's performance as "Poo", a good-natured but superficial girl, was described as "one of the main ... highlights of the film",^[31] and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.^[11]

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a setback in her career. She was 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.^[32][33] Kapoor's performances were often identified by critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration.^[1] 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.^[6][34]

2004–06: Critical acclaim[link]

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.^[6] Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra, Kapoor portrayed the role of a prostitute in Chameli. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker (played by Rahul Bose), and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. When Kapoor was initially offered the film, she refused it, stating that she wouldn't be comfortable playing the role.^[34] However, when the director again approached her a year later, she agreed to do the film and viewed it as an opportunity to show the range of her acting skills.^[34] To prepare for the role, she visited several of Mumbai's red-light areas at night to study the dress and mannerisms of sex workers.^[34] Upon release, the film and Kapoor's performance opened to predominantly positive reviews by critics, with the Indiatimes praising her "intuitive brilliance" and stating that she had exceeded all expectations.^[35] 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.^[36] Nonetheless, Kapoor's portrayal of Chameli garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award^[11] and the film marked a significant turning point in her career as an actress.^[6]

She next co-starred in Mani Ratnam's bilingual project Yuva alongside Ajay Devgn, 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 young witty woman. In a review published by The Times of India, 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, a bit like the film itself which is both mysterious and voluptuous".^[37] 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.^[38] Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case.^[38] It earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, as well as nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies.^[11] 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."^[39]

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."^[40] Although the film did not succeed at the box office,^[41] Kapoor garnered positive reviews for her performance, with some critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles.^[42] Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, both of which did well at the Indian box office.^[41] Following the success of her last two releases, she was cast as the protagonist in 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 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 woman of her age.^[43] She then starred in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki, a film that 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,^[44] though Kapoor's performance was generally enjoyed by critics, with the BBC reporting that she is "[...] a pure natural when it comes to acting."^[45]

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.^[47] 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.^[48] The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival.^[48][49] Omkara was embraced by critics and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Screen Award;^[11] her performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare.^[46] 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.^[50]

Following Omkara, she stopped acting for a short time, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes".^[50] 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"; she later described this period as a way of "finally getting to do the things I have always wanted to do."^[51]

[edit] 2007–present: Jab We Met and other works

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 303 million (US$6.04 million).^[52] Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including her second Screen Award as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.^[11] Rajeev Masand from 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."^[53] While shooting for Jab We Met, Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship.^[54] 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."^[19] During this period, speculation began to surface that she was dating actor Saif Ali Khan, her co-star in the film Tashan; Khan later confirmed their relationship to the media during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the 2007 Lakme Fashion Week.^[54]

The following year, she co-starred alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action-thriller Tashan. Though a poll conducted by Bollywood Hungama named it as the most anticipated release of the year,^[55] the film eventually became a commercial and critical failure.^[7] 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.^[56] In preparation for the role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues.^[57] Kapoor then appeared in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited. 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 an 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."^[58] Golmaal Returns was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of 793 million (US$15.82 million) internationally.^[30]

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, California, it became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California, and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors.^[59] The film earned over 840 million (US$16.76 million) worldwide, but was a critical failure.^[30] The Times of India described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "despite her haute-coutured look, micro minis [and] pencil heels, she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon."^[60] She next played the leading female role 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 in 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.^[61] Upon release, the film was critically embraced and Kapoor received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination.^[11] 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."^[62]

Her final release of the year was Rajkumar Hirani's drama 3 Idiots, a film loosely based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat.^[63] 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".^[64] The feature received much critical devotion and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing 2,026 million (US$40.42 million) at the Indian box office.^[9] It also did well internationally and earned over 1,080 million (US$21.55 million), the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market.^[5][65] 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."^[66] During the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received another Best Actress nomination for her role.^[11]

In 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy Milenge Milenge, a production that had been delayed since 2005.^[67] The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Kapoor's role was small and was not well-received.^[67] She next took the supporting role of the career-oriented Shreya Arora in We Are Family, the Hindi adaptation of the 1998 Hollywood release Stepmom. Prior to working on the project, Kapoor explained that she did not want to watch the original film in an attempt to "interpret the role...in my own style". Reaction to the film was mostly lukewarm, but Kapoor's performance drew positive reviews and ultimately won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress;^[11] Priyanka Roy of The Telegraph wrote: Kapoor "breathes life and a new-found maturity into what is largely a uni-dimensional character lacking depth."^[68] At the end of the year, she reunited with director Rohit Shetty for his sequel to the 2008 release Golmaal Returns. Like its predecessor, the project was met with mixed reactions from reviewers, though became the most successful entry in the Golmaal film series, earning more than 1,000 million (US$19.95 million) domestically.^[69] For her portrayal of the tomboy Daboo, Kapoor went on to receive several Best Actress nominations at a number of award ceremonies, including Filmfare.^[11]

Kapoor received further success in 2011 by starring as the love interest of Salman Khan in the romantic drama Bodyguard, a remake of the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The project opened to mixed reviews upon release, though became the most popular film of the year, with a domestic total of 1,410 million (US$28.13 million). In a review published by Mint, film critic Sanjukta Sharma dismissed Kapoor's role as the "sacrificial, ornamental [and] submissive female" whilst MiD DAY referred to her as "bright", arguing that she "actually manages to bring her caricature of a role alive."^[70][71] She next appeared in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction film Ra.One, alongside Shahrukh Khan. The film, which follows the story of a London-based videogame designer who creates the strongest villain—only to later realize that it has escaped from the game, saw the use of several new visual effects never seen before in the cinematic history of Bollywood, and became the most expensive Hindi film ever produced.^[72] With revenues of over 2,000 million (US$39.9 million) worldwide, Ra.One went on to become one of the highest earners of the year and Kapoor's fourth major success in three consecutive years.^[73]

She followed it by playing the female lead in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012), alongside Imran Khan. Produced by Dharma Productions, the romantic comedy is set in Las Vegas and tells the story of two strangers who accidentally get married one night after getting drunk. Kapoor essayed the role of the quick-witted hairstylist Riana Braganza. In an interview with The Times of India, Kapoor explained that she was drawn to the relatable qualities of her character: "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."^[74] Upon release, the film was greeted with positive reviews and was an economic success, earning over 550 million (US$10.97 million) internationally. The Hollywood Reporter found her "endearingly natural" while Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com asserted that "after doing ornamental roles in films like Bodyguard 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 Au Ekk Tu worth a helping."^[75][76]