KAREENA KAPOOR

KAREENA KAPOOR – Film Actress

Kareena Kapoor (born 21 September 1980) Born into a film family in Mumbai, 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. 

Describing herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in acting; she was particularly inspired by the work of actors Nargis and Meena Kumari. Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering films 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 they separated. She was then raised by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991. After living separately for several years, her parents reconciled in October 2007. Kapoor remarked "My father is also an important factor in my life, although we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now." 

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, followed by Welham Girls' School in Dehradun. She attended the institution primarily to satisfy her mother, though later admitted to liking the experience. According to Kapoor, she was a good student and received first-class honours in all subjects except mathematics. After graduating from Welham she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College in Vile Parle (Mumbai). 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, Mumbai; during this period, she developed a long-lasting passion for reading. However, after completing her first year, Kapoor decided to pursue her interest to become an actress. She began training at an acting institute in Mumbai mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). 

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 Bachchan in 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. 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 success 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 in Subhash Ghai's family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan, which received negative reviews and was unsuccessful at the box office. Later that year, she appeared in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film was selected for 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.com concluded that her presence in the film was primarily used for aesthetic purposes. She later received her first nomination for Best Actress at the 47th Filmfare Awards. 

Kapoor's final release of 2001 was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... in which she featured part of an ensemble cast. Directed by Karan Johar, the melodrama became 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 Rs.1 billion (US$16 million) worldwide. Kapoor's performance as Poo (a good-natured, superficial girl) was described by Taran Adarsh as "one of the main highlights of the film", and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. 

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a setback in her career. 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 Kapoor's performances as unoriginal, repetitive, an uninspired; they expressed concern that she was becoming typecast. These negative reviews motivated her to accept more challenging roles

The year 2004 marked Kapoor's work in a series of films that would bring her critical acclaim. 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, viewing it as an opportunity to demonstrate her acting range. Chameli was well received by critics and the film marked a significant turning point in her career, earning Kapoor the Filmfare Special Performance Award. 

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). 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. 

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 officeKapoor 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. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. It 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. 

Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a 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 successful at the box office with gross earnings of Rs. 302.5 million (US$4.8 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including her second Screen Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. 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 in Rohit 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 Rs. 792.5 million (US$13 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 Rs. 840 million (US$13 million) worldwide. She next 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 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. Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, Kapoor played Pia (a medical student and Khan's love interest). The film received critical acclaim and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing Rs. 2025.7 million (US$32 million) in India. It also did well internationally, earning over Rs. 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." During the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received another Best Actress nomination for her role. 

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.  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 Rs. 1 billion (US$16 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 the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was not well received by critics, though became a financial success, with a domestic total of Rs. 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 Rs. 2 billion (US$32 million), and Kapoor's fourth major commercial success in three years. 

The following year, Kapoor played the role of a carefree young woman, Riana Braganza, in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) with 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. The film received positive reviews and was an economic success, grossing a total of Rs. 530 million (US$8.4 million) in India and abroad. Her next appearance was 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 found Heroine "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." She later received Best Actress nominations at the annual Apsara, Filmfare, IIFA, Screen and Stardust Award ceremonies. 

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. The film generated predominantly positive reviews with Kapoor being praised in particular. Talaash eventually emerged as a financial success with global revenues of Rs. 1.74 billion (US$28 million). 

In February 2013, Kapoor commenced filming for two projects: Prakash Jha's political drama Satyagraha and Punit Malhotra's romantic comedy Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.

Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan on 16 October 2012. Described as India's "wedding and social event of the year" 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.