Sexy Kareena Kapoor

Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India on September 21, 1980 into the renowned Kapoor film family of Pathan and Punjabi origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). According to Kapoor, her first name was derived from the book, Anna Karenina. She is the granddaughter of legendary actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and the great granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor. Bebo, as she is fondly called, is also the sister of popular actress, Karisma Kapoor and the niece of well-known actor, Rishi Kapoor. Other living relatives include maternal aunt Sadhana, and cousins Ranbir Kapoor and Nikhil Nanda.

Due to family tradition, her father insisted that she married early, thus avoiding acting, which was considered a taboo for Kapoor women. This led to irreconcilable differences between her parents, and resulted in her mother leaving the house along with Kapoor and her sister. She was raised by her mother, who, with difficulty, worked several jobs to support the family, until her sister got into films in 1991. Kapoor was educated at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, and later Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. After studying commerce at Mithibai College, Vile Parle for two years, she took a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard. She developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government's Law College in Churchgate. After completing one year there, she returned to her initial plan to become an actor and began training under Kishor Namit Kapoor, the founder of Kapoor Acting Lab.

Early work, until 2000

Kapoor was initially approached to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) opposite Hrithik Roshan. However, after several days into the filming, she abandoned the project. She later explained, "It was probably destined that I was not to be in the film. After all, it was a launch for his son (Hrithik Roshan). The whole focus was on the boy. Now I am glad I did not do the movie."



Her career commenced with J.P. Dutta's moderately successful war drama Refugee (2000) opposite Abhishek Bachchan. Set during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the film centers on a young man, Refugee, played by Bachchan, who carries out the illegal activity of taking civilians to Pakistan and forth. Kapoor played the role of Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with him while migrating to Pakistan. Her performance won her critical acclaim and Taran Adarsh from indiaFM wrote, "Kareena Kapoor has a magnetic personality, which will make the viewer fall in love with her instantly. What surprises you is the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes, that too against experienced performers. There's no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." Kapoor earned her first Filmfare Award in the Best Female Debut category and the film eventually went on to became the fifth highest grossing film of the year.

Breakthrough, 2001-2003

Kapoor started off 2001 successfully, as her first film that year, Satish Kaushik's Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai opposite Tusshar Kapoor, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. However, subsequent releases such as Yaadein and Ajnabee did indifferent business at the box office. Following this, she co-starred alongside Shahrukh Khan as a princess in Santosh Sivan's period-epic Asoka. The film related a largely fictional version of Indian emperor Ashoka's life and was well received by critics. Kapoor's role earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.



Kapoor as the cosmetic beauty "Poo" in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), her biggest commercial success to date.

Kapoor's last release of the year was Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which consisted of a multi-starrer cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan. The film became the second highest grossing film of the year as well as Kapoor's highest grossing movie to date. It also did well internationally and became the year's top grossing Bollywood film overseas, earning over Rs 800 million worldwide. Her performance as a cosmetic beauty was applauded and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh noted, "Kareena Kapoor is one of the main highlights of the film. She provides the much-needed fun and entertainment in the second half; her performance will be loved by the youth. Playing a cosmetic beauty to the hilt, she is simply adorable."



During 2002-2003, Kapoor went through a negative period in her career. Featuring in six films, all of which proved unsuccessful, she appeared in two high profile films: Kunal Kohli's directorial debut Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002), which was produced by Yash Raj Films, and Sooraj R. Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003), which was produced by Rajshri Productions. Though both films generated great business overseas, they were critical and commercial failures in India. While her performance in the former was described as "inconsistent", her performance in the latter was criticized, "Kapoor was annoying in her role as Sanjana - a role we have seen her act many times before in movies such as [Karan] Johar's K3G (2001), [Subhash] Ghai's Yaadein (2001) and more recently [S J] Suryah's Khushi (2003)." These films marked the time when critics expressed their displeasure of her repetitious kind of roles and criticized that she was in danger of becoming typecast, which was fundamental in her attempting a diversity of more adventurous roles in the years following.

Turning point, 2004-present

Kapoor as the prostitute "Chameli" in Chameli (2004).

2004 marked the beginning of Kapoor's work with independent film directors and more serious roles, most of which would bring her critical acclaim rather than commercial success. Her role of a prostitute in Sudhir Mishra's Chameli (2004) made critics take notice of her once again, earning her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. Ashwini Deshmukh from Indiatimes wrote, "...Kareena goes way beyond anyone's expectations, including most decidedly her own, to deliver an all-time great performance, on a par with Nargis in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), Meena Kumari in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) and Shabana Azmi in Mahesh Bhatt's Arth (1982). Kareena flashes an intuitive brilliance that comes to movies very, very rarely indeed."



Following Chameli, Kapoor starred in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed Dev, which dealt with the historical events of the 2001 Gujarat riots. Modeled after Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case, Kapoor's role was that of Aaliya, a middle-class Muslim girl, a victim of these riots. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance as well as several nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh noted, "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." In that same year, Kapoor played her first negative role in the thriller Fida. Although the film failed to do well, she received positive reviews for her performance, with one critic writing, "Kareena has finally moved beyond Poo in K3G and has come into her own. She has portrayed the parts where she is racked by guilt very well." Her next releases that year included the thriller Aitraaz, which was moderately successful, and the comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.

This was followed in 2005 by Dharmesh Darshan's drama Bewafaa, alongside Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Sushmita Sen. Kapoor played the female lead of Anjali, a girl who marries her sister's husband after the latter's death. Unsatisfied with her married life, she sets on a relationship with her previous boyfriend. The film received mixed reviews by critics and so did Kapoor's performance. IndiaFM noted that "...This is Kareena's film all the way and the talented actress knows how to absorb a meaty role like this. She looks stunning, emotes with complete maturity and delivers a knockout performance" whilst another commented, "...Kareena...speaks in undertones and looks half-dead. Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki opposite Salman Khan. The drama depicts the story of a man, who, unable to overcome the shock of accidentally killing his fiancé, is hospitalized, where he meets Kapoor's character, Dr. Tanvi Khurana. The film failed to make a profit at the box-office, yet Kapoor's performance was well received. BBC wrote, "It goes without saying that she [Kareena] is a pure natural when it comes to acting."



36 China Town was Kapoor's first release in 2006 followed by Chup Chup Ke. Both films managed to perform moderately well at the box office. She next portrayed the role of Desdemona in the Indian adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello, Omkara. Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, the film starred Kapoor alongside Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Konkona Sen Sharma. Her performance was praised, earning Kapoor her fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com concluded, "Her [Kareena's] character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers." Later that year, she appeared in an item number in Farhan Akhtar's Don - The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 film Don. Although Kapoor's performance was generally well received, comparisons to the original version tended critics to conclude that she did not perform as well as the original performer, Helen did.

Kapoor reestablished her success in 2007, when her only release that year, Imtiaz Ali's comedy-romance Jab We Met opposite Shahid Kapoor, became one of the biggest hits of the year. The film tells the story of two people with contrasting personalities meeting each other on a train, and how they fall in love eventually. Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a bubbly and talkative Sikhni girl who lives life to the fullest. The film was well received by critics and Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including her first Filmfare Best Actress Award and second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. 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. I can't think of a greater compliment to pay her than to say with full confidence that no actress could play Geet better than Kareena has."



Kapoor's most recent release, Vijay Krishna Acharya's action thriller Tashan, released on April 25, 2008. The film, which marked her comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner, failed to do we

Gossip columnists have linked Kapoor to a number of her co-stars but she has strongly denied all these rumors. In 2004, she began dating actor Shahid Kapoor, the son of veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor. While dating, their relationship was often reported in the media, and was once in the center of a scandal when onlookers with mobile phone cameras filmed them kissing and released it to the media. The couple separated three years later while filming Jab We Met (2007). Though media initially projected it as a publicity stunt for the film, it was later confirmed that the couple had indeed broken up. According to her, they remained on good terms, with her saying in an interview, "I have seen Shahid from his first film to Jab We Met and I can say that there is a marked difference. According to me he is a bundle of talent waiting to explode. I have that much of faith in him as an actor."

In September 2007, during her breakup with Kapoor, rumors began floating around that she was seeing actor Saif Ali Khan. On October 18, 2007, during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media saying, "Yes, we are not exactly shouting from the rooftops but yes, clearly we are together. And we are happy together!" Their relationship is frequently reported on in the media, and is often subject to press speculation of a possible engagement or marriage. However, both of them have denied these rumours.

In 2006, Kapoor declared that she would turn vegetarian in order to keep her weight in check.

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted her time to other commitments, which range from her being involved with different humanitarion causes to her taking part in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world tour the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and Canada and went on to be a success. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit whilst in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in far-flung regions along with the NDTV team.

The year 2006 saw Kapoor take part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. In 2007, Kapoor along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of 50 lakh rupees from her winnings on the season finale of Kaun Banega Crorepati to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra.

The following year, she walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza. Proceeds from the show were given to the IIFA Foundation, a charity organization set up by the International Indian Film Academy to support families of the film industry workers who have been adversely affected during the production of a film. In June, Kapoor appeared on the television game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan. Earning a total of Rs 500,000, Kapoor donated Rs 250,000 of her winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home, Bandra.

Kapoor was ranked fourth on Filmfare's "Top Actresses" list for three consecutive years (2003-2005) whilst she was later ranked sixth and third in 06 and 07 respectively. In addition to that, Kapoor was ranked third on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars" list in 2004. She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005-06 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. Kapoor has also frequently been featured in different lists by Rediff, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses", "Bollywood's Hottest Heroines", "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women" and "Women of Many Faces".

Kapoor has appeared twice on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan; alongside Rani Mukerji in 2005, and Shahid Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor in 2007. In 2006, she modeled and walked the ramp along with Shahid Kapoor and actress Urmila Matondkar for Manish Malhotra's fashion display, Fashion Week 2006, titled Freedom, and was a guest judge alongside Priyanka Chopra on the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2.

In February 2007, Kapoor was listed fourth on Indiatimes' list of "Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood", and later that year, became the only actress to be featured among "The Highest Tax Payers of 2006-07". In July 2007, Kapoor was announced the winner of PETA's 2007 "Cutest Vegetarian Celebrities" online poll with actor R. Madhavan. Later that year, along with other Bollywood celebrities, the actress performed at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev's Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh, and was ranked number 8 by the U.K. magazine, Eastern Eye, as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women".

Refugee
Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
Yaadein
Ajnabee
Asoka
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Talaash: The Hunt Begins...
Khushi
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
LOC Kargil
Chameli
Yuva
Dev
Fida
Aitraaz
Hulchul
Bewafaa
Kyon Ki
Dosti: Friends Forever
36 China Town
Chup Chup Ke
Omkara
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Don - The Chase Begins Again
Kya Love Story Hai
Jab We Met
Halla Bol
Tashan
Golmaal Returns
Roadside Romeo
Voice over for first animated film
Milenge Milenge
Main Aur Mrs. Khanna
Kambakth Ishq