Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor

She was born 21 September 1980 and also known as Kareena Kapoor Khan, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a variety of characters in a range of film genres from contemporary romantic comedies to crime dramas Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards and has established herself as one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses.




Early life and background

Kareena and Karisma Kapoor with their mother Babita
Pictured with mother Babita (left) and sister Karisma. In an interview with journalist Vir Sanghvi, Kapoor stated that growing up with the two of them helped her become strong and independent
Born into a film family in Mumbai on 21 September 1980, Kapoor (often  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. As a child, Kapoor regularly practised Hinduism, but was also exposed to Christianity from her mother.

Describing herself as a "very naughty spoilt child", Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in actingshe was particularly inspired by the work of actresses 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. though 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 wasn't inclined towards academics though received good grades in all her classes 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 Indi.




Acting career


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. Her performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama described her as "a natural performer" and noted "the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes",while India Today reported that Kapoor belonged to a new breed of Hindi film actors that breaks away from character stereotypes. On the experience of acting in her first film, Kapoor described it as "tough ... 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.




Performances

On 28 March 2012, Kapoor inaugurated the Bollywood Walk of the Stars where she received a hand-print of her own
According to media reports, Kapoor relies on her instincts and spontaneity as an actor.She is known to commit heavily to each role, and refrains from rehearsing for a project.Commenting on this, director Rajkumar Hirani said "I usually have a habit of conducting rehearsals for my actors, but she insisted on not having them as it would affect her spontaneity. She really surprised me with a couple of emotional scenes which we canned in just one take.Karan Johar described Kapoor as a "natural", explaining that "she has no craft, grammar or process attached to her acting It is a great sense of cinema that can keep her going.According to Rensil D'Silva (who directed her in Kurbaan), "Kareena is instinctive and has emotional intelligence. She absorbs the situation and performs accordingly. Discussing the scene, in fact, harms her."

Kareena Kapoor

While discussing her career highlights in a 2010 article, Rediff.com noted: ven though a lot of her starring roles have been forgettable, look at her filmography now, however, would show a more thoughtful selection of roles playing to her strengths. Her portrayal of a series of superficial characters at the start of her career were criticized; film historian Gyan Prakash explained that these roles "tended to infantilise her, packaging her as daddy's little girl, all bubble and no fizz".Critics noted Chameli (2004) as her coming of age, claiming that "a new actor in her was discovered".Following her portrayal of a variety of character types in Chameli, Dev (2004), Omkara (2006) and Jab We Met (2007), Kapoor was noted for her versatility.In 2010, Filmfare Magazine included two of her performances from Omkara and Jab We Met in its list of "80 Iconic Performances". India Today labelled her "the most versatile female lead in the industry", noting that she "play her roles with trademark spunk".Manjula Sen of The Telegraph wrote that although she has "the worst success ratio among her contemporaries", it does not affect her marketability.Sen further explained that Kapoor's strength lies in her being versatile; she is "effortlessly honest in her performances. It is a candour that spills over in her personal conduct. Writing for CNN-IBN, Rituparna Chatterjee spoke of her transformation to date: after 40 films and 10 years of fighting off competition from some of the most versatile actors of her generation, Kareena has matured into a bankable actor reinventing herself with surprising ease.

Personal life

Married to actor Saif Ali Khan, Kapoor's off-screen life is the subject of widespread coverage in India. She is known in the Indian media for being publicly outspoken and assertive, and is recognised for her contributions to the film industry through her fashion style and film roles. In addition to film acting, Kapoor is a stage performer and has contributed as a co-author to three books: an autobiographical memoir, and two nutrition guides. She has also launched her own clothing line in association with the retail chain Globus.