Kareena Kapoor Khan (born 21 September 1980) is an Indian film actress. She is pronounced [krina kpur]; née Kapoor. She is the daughter of actors Randhir and Babita Kapoor, as well as the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Kapoor is known for playing a wide range of characters in films ranging from romantic comedies to crime dramas. She has received multiple honours, including six Filmfare honours, and is one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses.
Kapoor distinguished herself in the dramas Aoka and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (both 2001) after making her acting debut in Refugee in 2000. This was followed by a string of commercial flops and unfavourable press for her recurring appearances. Her role as a sex worker in the drama Chameli represented a watershed moment in her career. She received great acclaim for her roles in the 2004 drama Dev as a riot victim and in the 2006 crime picture Omkara as a character modelled on William Shakespeare's heroine Desdemona. Her performances in the romantic comedies Jab We Met (2007) and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012), the thrillers Kurbaan (2009) and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), and the dramas We Are Family (2010), Heroine (2012), and Udta Punjab (2016) earned her additional recognition. Her most successful films are the dramas 3 Idiots (2009), Bodyguard (2011), and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), as well as the action picture Singham Returns (2014) and the comedies Veere Di Wedding (2018) and Good Newwz (2019).
Kapoor is married to actor Saif Ali Khan and has two boys with him. Her private life has received extensive coverage in India. She is famous for her contributions to the film business through her fashion sense and film appearances. She is known for being outspoken and assertive. Aside from film acting, Kapoor performs in stage plays, leads a radio show, and has co-written two personal autobiographies and two books of nutrition guidelines. She has launched her own collection of women's apparel and cosmetics, and she has been working with UNICEF since 2014 to push for girls' education and an increase in quality-based education in India.
Early years
Kapoor (commonly referred to as 'Bebo') was born on September 21, 1980 in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma is also an actress. She is the paternal granddaughter of Raj Kapoor, the maternal granddaughter of actor Hari Shivdasani, and the great-granddaughter of filmmaker Prithviraj Kapoor. Her uncle is actor Rishi Kapoor, and her cousin is actor Ranbir Kapoor. The name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while pregnant with her, according to Kapoor. On her father's side, she is of Punjabi Hindu origin, while on her mother's side, she is of Sindhi Hindu and British descent.
As a naughty, spoilt youngster, Kapoor's early exposure to films sparked her passion in acting; she was particularly influenced by the work of actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari. Despite her family's history, her father was opposed to women appearing in films because he considered it interfered with women's traditional maternal roles and responsibility in the family. This caused a schism between her parents, who lived apart before reuniting in October 2007. Her mother reared her till she debuted as an actress in 1991, working many jobs to support her daughters. Despite the fact that her father was not around for the majority of her upbringing, Kapoor stated that he played an essential part in her life.
Kapoor went to Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before moving on to Welham Girls' School in Dehradun. She went to the facility primarily to please her mother, but she subsequently acknowledged to enjoying the experience. According to Kapoor, she was not interested in academics despite receiving good results in all of her studies except mathematics. She returned to Mumbai after graduating from Welham and studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College. Kapoor then enrolled in a three-month summer microcomputer course at Harvard Summer School in the United States. She eventually became interested in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Mumbai, where she established a lifelong love of reading. After her first year, she decided to follow her interest in acting, however she later regretted not finishing her school. Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India, mentored her at an acting institute in Mumbai.
Life and work
Beginnings, breakthroughs, and setbacks in my career (2000-2003)
While at the institute, Kapoor was cast in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite Hrithik Roshan. However, after a few days of filming, she dropped out since the director's son was given more attention than she was. Later that year, she made her film debut alongside Abhishek Bachchan in J. P. Dutta's Refugee. Set during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, Kapoor was introduced as Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Bachchan's character. Dutta cast her for the youthfulness and innocence he saw in her, while Kapoor saw their partnership as a learning experience that benefited her both personally and professionally. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama praised her for "the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes," and India Today said she belonged to a new breed of Hindi film actors who defy clichés. In India, Refugee was a moderate box office success, and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
In Satish Kaushik's box-office success Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001), Kapoor was partnered alongside Tusshar Kapoor. According to a review in The Hindu, she was "definitely the actress to watch out for" based on her first two films. She next appeared in Subhash Ghai's flop Yaadein before moving on to Abbas-Mustan's modestly successful thriller Ajnabee. Later same year, she had an appearance in Santosh Sivan's period epic Aoka, a largely fictionalised portrayal of the life of the Indian ruler Ashoka. Kapoor, who co-starred with Shah Rukh Khan, was challenged to play the complicated nature of her character Kaurwaki, with whom Ashoka falls in love. Aoka premiered at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals in 2001, receiving generally excellent reviews worldwide but failing to do well in India, which critics attributed to the way Ashoka was represented. The Deseret News' Jeff Vice praised her powerful screen presence, however Rediff.com said she was mostly employed for aesthetic purposes. Aoka was nominated for five prizes at the 47th Filmfare prizes, including Best Actress for Kapoor.
Karan Johar cast Kapoor as Pooja ("Poo", a good-natured, superficial girl) in the 2001 melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which was a watershed moment in her career.... She saw no relation between herself and her "over-the-top" character and based Poo's personality on Johar's. Filming the big-budget film with an ensemble cast was a new experience for Kapoor, who describes it as a "dream come true." Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... was a huge success, becoming India's second highest-grossing film of the year and Kapoor's highest-grossing film to that moment. It became one of the most successful Bollywood films of all time in the international market, grossing over 1 billion (US$13 million) globally. Taran Adarsh called Kapoor "one of the film's main highlights," and she won her second Filmfare nomination for the role—her first for Best Supporting Actress—along with nominations from the International Indian Academy (IIFA) and Screen Awards.
According to Box Office India, the success of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... established Kapoor as a leading actress of Hindi cinema, and Rediff.com reported that with Aoka, she became the highest-paid Indian actress at the time, earning $15 million (US$190,000) per film. During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor worked on a number of projects but faced a setback. Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, Talaash: The Hunt Begins..., Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, and the four-hour military epic LOC Kargil were all critical and commercial flops. Critics compared her performances in these films to those in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., and expressed fear that she was becoming typecast. She later praised the experience, citing it as a valuable lesson that encouraged her to work harder, and has admitted to accepting these positions for financial gain rather than artistic quality.
Professional development (2004-2006)
By 2004, Kapoor was looking to widen her horizons as an actor and opted to take on more demanding roles in addition to the stereotypical gorgeous lead. Sudhir Mishra directed Kapoor in Chameli as a golden-hearted prostitute who meets a widowed investment banker (Rahul Bose). When Kapoor was first approached about the job, she declined, stating that she would feel uncomfortable in the role. She relented when Mishra approached her a second time, and in preparation for the part, she visited various Mumbai red-light districts at night to study the mannerisms and clothing of sex workers. With a production budget of $20 million (US$250,000), the independent film marked a break from Kapoor's prior high-profile roles. The Times of India applauded her for exceeding all expectations; Rediff.com, on the other hand, found her portrayal unconvincing and overly stereotyped, equating her demeanour to a caricature. Chameli was a watershed moment in Kapoor's career, and she earned a special jury award at the 49th Filmfare Awards.
Kapoor then co-starred in Mani Ratnam's Yuva, a film about three teenagers from different social classes whose lives are brought together by a car accident; she played Vivek Oberoi's romantic interest. She consented to the production despite not having "much of a role" because she wanted to collaborate with Ratnam. Subhash K. Jha, a film critic, agreed that her role was little, but added that Kapoor exploits her "character traits to her... advantage to create a girl who is at once enigmatic and all-there." She then co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, which was inspired by the 2002 Gujarat Hindu-Muslim riots. Kapoor featured as a Muslim victim and performed vocals to the music. Nihalani was initially hesitant to choose a big commercial actress, but Kapoor demonstrated intelligence and empathy much beyond her years. She was excited to work with him because his films Ardh Satya (1983) and Tamas (1988) had given her a deeper appreciation for cinema and helped her identify with her character's capacity to be strong yet simple. It received great acclaim and garnered her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.
In 2006, she was photographed with co-star Shahid Kapoor at the audio release of 36 China Town. During the production of Fida, the actress established a love relationship with Kapoor, whom she subsequently characterised as "a major positive influence in my life."
Kapoor made his film debut as a villain in Fida (2004), a thriller about an online theft. Critics noticed a clear growth from her previous roles. She appeared in Abbas-Mustan's thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul the same year. Aitraaz is about a man (Akshay Kumar) who is accused of sexual harassment by his female boss (Priyanka Chopra). Kapoor was offered Chopra's role, but chose to portray Kumar's wife instead, knowing that Indian women would identify more with her character. According to Jitesh Pillai of The Times of India, Kapoor has a modest role, but she "shines through brightly earning her big moment in the courtroom sequence." Meanwhile, Kapoor's first commercial triumph in three years was Hulchul. Her next film, Bewafaa, was critically panned in 2005. Nikhat Kazmi stated that for Kapoor to become a genuine actor, she needed to play a maturer, more cynical character in Bewafaa. Her year ended with the romance dramas Kyon Ki and Dosti: Friends Forever, both of which flopped at the box office. She co-starred with Shahid Kapoor in her following two films, the thriller 36 China Town and the comedy Chup Chup Ke (both 2006). 36 China Town was a commercial triumph, and Chup Chup Ke did okay.
Vishal Bhardwaj saw Kapoor in Yuva and was impressed enough to cast her in his next movie, Omkara, an adaption of William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello set against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh's political system. Kapoor played Desdemona and was pushed to represent the character's inner agony in a more delicate and understated manner. She later attended multiple script-reading sessions with the complete group and hailed the production as "special." Omkara had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 and was also shown at the Cairo International Film Festival. Filmfare commended her ability to communicate the varied emotions experienced by her character, and her performance earned her a fourth Filmfare and her first Screen Award. Kapoor considers it one of her best performances and compares her portrayal of Dolly to her own maturation as a woman.
Established actress Kapoor (2007-2011) with Saif Ali Khan at the 53rd Filmfare Awards in 2008. Following her separation with Shahid Kapoor, she began dating Khan, who publicly revealed their romance at the 2007 Lakme Fashion Week.
Kapoor then collaborated with Shahid Kapoor for the fourth time in the romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007), playing Geet Dhillon, a vibrant Sikh girl with a zest for life. Director Imtiaz Ali was not well-known prior to the film's production, but Kapoor accepted to the project after being captivated by his writing. She worked closely with Ali to develop her character, and she was pushed to capture Dhillon's effervescent nature without making it caricaturish. Jab We Met was well praised by reviewers and was a box office hit. The BBC noted that the character required a blend of naivety and spontaneity, and praised Kapoor's performance; Rajeev Masand called her the film's "biggest strength." Kapoor received her second Screen Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Kapoor and Shahid broke their four-year relationship while filming Jab We Met. She expressed her sadness at the breakup and expressed optimism that they would be able to restore their friendship in the future.
Kapoor co-starred in Vijay Krishna Acharya's Tashan the next year, where she met her future husband, actor Saif Ali Khan. Despite being widely anticipated by audiences before to its debut, the picture flopped at the box office. After lending her voice to the character of a street dog's love interest in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo, Kapoor portrayed a distrustful woman who suspected her husband of infidelity in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns. The film, a sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited, received mixed reviews from critics. According to the Indian Express, the writing was generic, and her role and acting lacked uniqueness. With global revenues of 793 million (US$9.9 million), Golmaal Returns was a commercial triumph.
In Sabbir Khan's battle-of-the-sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq, Kapoor played Simrita Rai, a surgeon who moonlights as a model. It was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. The film earned mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success. Following the movie office disappointment Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, she played the lead in the dramatic thriller Kurbaan. The film, which stars Kapoor as a lady who is placed under house arrest after discovering that her husband is a terrorist, was emotionally draining for her because it was difficult to dissociate from her role. Kapoor was nominated for Best Actress for the fourth time. According to Gaurav Malani of The Economic Times, the actress was handed a significant role with the potential to elevate her career after a long time, while Subhash K. Jha hailed it as her "most consistently pitched performance to date" played with compassion.
Kapoor received his second Filmfare nomination that year for Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots, based on Chetan Bhagat's novel Five Point Someone and co-starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi. Pia, a medical student and Khan's love interest, plays her. The film became the highest-earning Bollywood film of all time, grossing 2.03 billion rupees (US$25 million) in India. It also performed well internationally, grossing over $1.08 billion (US$14 million), making it the second biggest Bollywood success ever in the international market. According to the Deccan Herald, Kapoor "brings a dollop of sunshine and feminine grace to an otherwise masculine tale," praising her spontaneity in playing her character. 3 Idiots won multiple Best Film awards at various Indian award ceremonies, including the IIFA Award for Best Actress, among others.
Kapoor entered the new decade as the lead in the flop romantic comedy Milenge Milenge (2010). The film was deemed obsolete by critics, having clichéd characters. More fulfilling was a supporting role in We Are Family, an official remake of the Hollywood tearjerker Stepmom (1998). Kapoor abstained from seeing Stepmom again in an attempt to add her version to the role initially played by Julia Roberts and was intrigued to the intricacy of her character. The Telegraph's Priyanka Roy faulted it for being melodramatic, but lauded Kapoor for enriching the entire picture. We Are Family was a middling success, and Kapoor received the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 56th Filmfare Awards. She reteamed with filmmaker Rohit Shetty for Golmaal 3, which got mixed reviews but grossed over 1 billion rupees (US$13 million) locally. Kapoor was nominated for Best Actress at several award events, including Filmfare, for her performance.
In 2011, Kapoor found new fame as the love interest of Salman Khan's character in Bodyguard, a remake of the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was not well received by critics, but it was a commercial success, grossing 1.4 billion rupees (US$18 million) domestically, making it India's highest-earning picture of the year. Mint regarded Kapoor's performance as ornamental, while Mid-Day believed she "actually manages to bring her caricature of a role alive." She then starred in Anubhav Sinha's sci-fi flick Ra.One, about a malicious gaming character (Shah Rukh Khan) who escapes into the real world. Despite harsh media coverage of its box-office performance, the film became one of the year's largest earners with a worldwide total of over 2.4 billion (US$30 million), and Kapoor's fourth significant commercial triumph in three straight years.
Marriage, success, and motherhood (2012-2017)
Following her popularity in Bodyguard and Ra.One, Kapoor landed a part opposite Imran Khan in Shakun Batra's Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012). The romantic comedy is set in Las Vegas and tells the story of two strangers who marry one night after becoming intoxicated. She portrayed Riana Braganza, a carefree young woman, and was particularly captivated to her character's attributes. The film garnered favourable reviews and was a financial success, generating 530 million rupees (US$6.6 million) in India and overseas. The Hollywood Reporter described her as "endearingly natural," and Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com praised her for portraying a non-ornamental part since Jab We Met. She then starred in Sriram Raghavan's espionage thriller Agent Vinod. Kapoor was excited about the idea, but it received a lukewarm reception, and she was labelled as miscast. When asked why she accepted the position, Kapoor said it was an opportunity to try something new.
Kapoor's next role was as a fading cinema star in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine. She was initially hesitant to play a character whose personality she felt was far away from her own, but agreed after Bhandarkar instilled confidence in her. Despite not being a method actor, Kapoor claimed that the dramatic part had left her on edge in her personal life and avoided taking on any more projects. The film was regarded to be repetitive by critics, yet it was watchable owing to Kapoor's performance. Rajeev Masand called it a "delectably camp performance" executed "with the utmost sincerity." According to Bollywood Hungama, it was her best performance to date, and despite an inconsistent character, Kapoor enriched it "with a rare vulnerability and an exceptional inner life." Kapoor got the Editor's Choice Award for Best Actress at the annual Stardust Awards, as well as nominations from Filmfare, IIFA, Producers Guild, Screen, and Stardust.
In 2012, Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan had their registered marriage ceremony. Rupa Subramanya called the wedding as India's "wedding and social event of the year" in a blog published by The Wall Street Journal.
Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan in a private wedding in Bandra, Mumbai, on October 16, 2012, and she gave birth to their kids in 2016 and 2021, respectively. Despite adding Khan to her name, Kapoor indicated that she would continue to practise Hinduism after marriage. Kapoor's final film of 2012 was Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, in which she played the prostitute Rosie. The film is set in Mumbai's red-light districts and follows the exploits of a police officer (Aamir Khan) tasked with investigating a mystery vehicle accident. According to The Telegraph, Kapoor stood out among the other performers because "she brings an unseen mix of oomph and emotion." The film was a box office success, grossing $1.74 billion (US$22 million) worldwide, earning Kapoor Best Actress nods at the Screen, Stardust, and Zed Cine award ceremonies.
In 2013, Kapoor reunited with Ajay Devgn for the fourth time in Prakash Jha's Satyagraha, a socio-political drama partially based on social activist Anna Hazare's 2011 anti-corruption campaign. The film earned minimal critical acclaim and performed poorly at the box office, grossing $675 million (US$8.5 million) domestically. Kapoor reduced her activities for the next two years to focus on her marriage and family after appearing in the badly appreciated romantic comedy Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (2013). She took on smaller roles, such as Ajay Devgn's love interest in Singham Returns (2014) and Salman Khan's love interest in Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). The former, in which Kapoor had a role created specifically for her, garnered mixed reviews, and Kapoor was chastised for taking on a minor role. In contrast, the picture was a financial success, grossing over 1.4 billion (US$18 million). Bajrangi Bhaijaan, directed by Kabir Khan, was India's highest-grossing picture of the year, collecting a total of 3.20 billion rupees (US$40 million), and won the National picture Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
In 2016, Kapoor starred in Ki & Ka, a film on gender stereotypes that she was drawn to because of its relevancy. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it was a financial success, generating over $1 billion (US$13 million) worldwide. Meena Iyer of The Times of India praised Kapoor, and Sukanya Verma saw the actress as the film's main asset. She then appeared in Udta Punjab (2016), a crime drama on the epidemic of substance misuse in the Indian state of Punjab. Due to the length of her role, Kapoor was first hesitant to do the film, but consented after reading the final script and partially waiving her costs to feature in it. When the Central Board of Film Certification determined that Udta Punjab portrayed Punjab negatively, it sparked outrage. The Bombay High Court later approved the film's screening with one scene edited. According to Rediff.com, the film focuses on her character, and Deccan Chronicle's Mehul S. Thakkar commented that she was effective in providing such a strong performance. Kapoor was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Filmfare and Zed Cine award ceremonies for her performance.
Beyond Veere Di Wedding (2018-present)
Her husband convinced Kapoor to return to acting after the birth of her first kid. She was looking for a project that would allow her to work around her parental obligations, and she found it in Shashanka Ghosh's female buddy film, Veere Di Wedding (2018). When the movie was first approached in 2016, the producers revised Kapoor's role to accommodate her pregnancy, but due to the lack of maternity insurance in India, filming began after she gave birth. She was excited to collaborate with three other starring ladies and to convey a story of friendship and love from a female perspective, which she thought was unusual in Hindi movies. Anna M. M. Vetticad applauded the film for depicting women with "agency, flaws, humanity, and, most importantly, a sense of humour," and appreciated Kapoor's controlled performance. Veere Di Wedding is one of the highest-grossing female-led Hindi films, grossing approximately $1.38 billion (US$17 million) worldwide.
Kapoor reunited with Akshay Kumar in Good Newwz (2019), a comedy about two couples' in vitro fertilisation experiment. Udita Jhunjunwala of Mint stated that it is "difficult to take your gaze away from Kapoor." She was nominated for Best Actress at the Filmfare, IIFA, and Zed Cine Awards, and the film grossed over 3 billion rupees (US$38 million), making it the sixth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. She then appeared in Angrezi Medium (2020), a spiritual sequel to Hindi Medium. She filmed her role in 10 days while following her husband on his film shoot in London, according to her, as a deliberate attempt to step outside of her comfort zone. The film was released in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its commercial performance was hampered by the closure of theatres. Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in praised her "ability to glitter in a handful of moments," however Vinayak Chakravorty of Outlook said the Kapoor scenes were unnecessary to the story.
In 2022, Kapoor appeared in Laal Singh Chaddha, a version of Forrest Gump starring Aamir Khan in the title character. She portrayed Rupa, a troubled aspiring actress, and Filmfare's Devesh Sharma called her performance "filled with angst and grit" as one of the best of her career. Laal Singh Chaddha failed to recoup its estimated production costs of 1.5 billion (US$19 million) despite a massive boycott campaign by Hindu nationalists owing to Aamir Khan's political ties.
Kapoor, eager to participate in the thriller genre, agreed to appear in two films directed by Hansal Mehta and Sujoy Ghosh, respectively. She will play a detective in a small village in Buckinghamshire in Mehta's The Buckingham Murders (which will also be her first producing effort), and she modelled her character on Kate Winslet's portrayal in Mare of Easttown. Ghosh's film will be based on Higashino Keigo's novel The Devotion of Suspect X, and she will play a single mother who is involved in a murder. Kapoor will return to commercial film with The Crew, a female-led comedy-drama about an aircrew that also stars Tabu and Kriti Sanon.
Other assignments
Fashion and publishing
Along with her performing career, Kapoor has a successful design profession. During her five-year partnership with Globus, Kapoor became the first Indian actress to establish her own line of women's clothes; she called the relationship as "special" and "reflective of my personal sense of style." Her collection was favourably welcomed when it debuted in stores across India many months later. Following the termination of her contract with Globus, she declared a wish to collaborate with a design company to launch her apparel brand globally, but later stated that those plans had been shelved. Kapoor worked with Lakmé Cosmetics to develop her own cosmetics brand in August 2018.
Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight, a book on the fundamentals of healthy eating habits, was co-written by Kapoor and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar in 2009. The book, published by Random House, was highly reviewed by critics and sold 10,000 copies in its first twenty days. Two years later, a sequel, Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha, was launched. It addressed women's weight reduction problems and eating habits in various stages of their lives, and featured Kapoor in an audiobook voice-over. The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva, Kapoor's autobiographical memoir published in 2013, was panned by Mint for its "too-breezy" writing. It was co-written with Rochelle Pinto and was the first book published under Penguin Books' Shobhaa De banner, which contained celebrity memoirs, guides, and biographies. Later that year, she worked with Diwekar for the third time on The Indian Food Wisdom and The Art of Eating Right, a nutrition documentary film. Pregnancy Bible (co-authored with Aditi Shah Bhimjani) became a commercial success in 2021.
Philanthropy
Throughout her career, Kapoor has been an outspoken advocate for children's education and women's safety. In June 2010, she participated in the international campaign 1GOAL Education for All, and she was named ambassador for the Shakti Campaign, a project created by NDTV to eliminate violence against women, in honour of the 100th year of International Women's Day. Two years later, Kapoor launched Channel V's anti-rape mobile app 'VithU,' stating that with increasing violence against women in India, "it is important for actors to stand up for issues because they can reach out to a large number of people."
In January 2014, Kapoor began working with UNICEF to fight for girls' education and to improve quality of education in India. She expressed hope for her organization's creation of locations "where children feel safe and secure, and where interactive and creative tools are used to ensure that children are happy and learning." During her first year, Kapoor visited schools in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, engaged with kids, and took part in fundraising events sponsored by the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya organisation in the Jalna area. Kapoor co-hosted a charity dinner with UNICEF India's Goodwill Ambassador (Sharmila Tagore) to promote awareness for the development of impoverished children, and introduced the 'Child-Friendly School and Systems' (CFSS) package. She later donated an equal amount of the monies generated during a combined UNICEF and Groupon campaign to improve the learning environment in Indian schools.
The next year, at the conclusion of Child Rights Protection Week, she honoured 31 students and 5 teachers for their contributions to the area of education in Chhattisgarh. In the same year, Kapoor contributed a voice-over for the documentary film Girl Rising: Woh Padhegi, Woh Udegi [She will learn, she will fly] for the organisation of the same name, as well as producing a documentary on women's empowerment. She spoke at a UNICEF event in Lucknow in June 2016 to encourage menstrual hygiene management. Following the birth of her son, Kapoor published an essay titled "Let's save our newborn babies" in The Times of India, criticising infant mortality, and began the "Every Child Alive" campaign to encourage inexpensive and quality health care for mothers and their child. In May 2018, she was invited to be the keynote speaker at a UNICEF-organized Mother's Day event in New Delhi.
Kapoor has also made public appearances to assist various philanthropic initiatives. In November 2003, she sang at a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, and in 2004 she took part in a concert to benefit victims of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. She paid a special Holi weekend visit to Indian jawans (troops) in Rajasthan for a special Holi weekend episode of NDTV's reality show Jai Jawaan. In 2010, Kapoor adopted the Madhya Pradesh village of Chanderi as part of NDTV's Greenathon Campaign, with the goal of providing the village with a steady source of power. Four years later, she took part in a global effort to raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition and donated to the Kashmir flood relief. In September 2016, Kapoor attended the launch of Global Citizen India, a collaboration between the same-named music festival and The Global Education and Leadership Foundation. The next year, Kapoor became the brand ambassador for Swasth Immunised India, a programme to encourage childhood immunisations established by the Network18 Group and the Serum Institute of India.
Performances on stage, radio, and television
Since 2002, Kapoor has appeared in a number of theatre productions and globe tours. Her debut tour, Heartthrobs: Live in Concert (2002), was a triumph in the United States and Canada, featuring Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. She appeared in the show Now or Never alongside numerous other Bollywood stars at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, at the end of that year.
Kapoor returned to the stage four years later with six other Bollywood celebs in the successful Rockstars Concert world tour. The event was originally slated to begin in April 2006, however it was postponed due to Salman Khan's incarceration. It was later staged in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada and began the next month. In 2008, Kapoor appeared in Shah Rukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded 2008, a tour of several countries. The play (which also included Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali, and Anusha Dandekar) premiered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at the Rotterdam Ahoy theatre. Several months later, she reunited with Khan, Rampal, and Kaif to perform in front of 15,000 people at Dubai's Festival City Arena.
In 2018, Kapoor teamed up with Ishq FM to present a radio show called "What Women Want." The show was well-received, garnering Kapoor a nomination for "Best Talk Show Host" at the New York Festivals Radio Awards, and was eventually revived for two more seasons. She appeared as a talent judge on the sixth season of the dancing reality show dancing India Dance the next year.
Character and public image
Kapoor is known for her casual interaction with the media and for discussing her personal life without reserve. She used to accompany Karisma on-set while filming and attend award ceremonies and events with her family as a child. She remarked to Filmfare that growing up in a film family helped her acquire a sense of professionalism and passion to her job. In India, the media has focused on Kapoor's personal life, with constant coverage of her weight and relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan. Since 2007, the couple, called "Saifeena" by the media, has been one of the country's most-reported celebrity tales, and Kapoor gave birth to their sons in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
While some in the press have portrayed Kapoor as pleasant and incredibly close to her family, others have accused her of being haughty and vain—an image she acquired after playing the shallow character Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). She went on to appear in films as similar personas, which helped to solidify her off- and on-screen personae. Prior to the premiere of Chameli (2004), in which she portrayed a sex worker, Kapoor claimed that "there is a certain image that people identify you with that always follows you regardless of the role you play." I'm attempting to transcend this image by being more screen-friendly rather than image-friendly." Chameli assisted Kapoor in reinventing her on-screen persona, and she later said that the media often misinterpreted her honesty and openness as arrogance.
Kapoor is also recognised for her aggressive and gloomy personality, and her outspoken opinions and independence have been credited with making significant contributions to her career. "Total faith and complete belief in myself is my attitude towards life, films, and virtually everything else," she explained in an early interview. I only do what I believe is right. It's difficult to nail me down since I'm a jumble of paradoxes." According to journalist Subhash K. Jha, while this approach has occasionally cost her professional prospects, it "makes her such a favourite among the generation that believes in self-esteem being the highest form of creativity." She lives for the moment and pours all of her energy into it, not giving a single thought to what has passed or what is ahead." Meanwhile, Anu Ahuja speculated that Kapoor's demeanour is an act, claiming that she is "cold and unapproachable so that no one will act funny with her."
Kapoor is regarded as one of India's most popular Bollywood celebs. Her appearance and performances have made her a fashion symbol for young ladies. Kapoor was named one of India's most popular symbols in a 2009 poll held by Daily News and Analysis, and she and her partner Saif Ali Khan were named among the top celebrity endorsers for businesses and goods globally. She was the only Indian actress to appear on CNNGo's list of "Who Mattered Most in India," and she was later named to Verve's list of the country's most powerful women from 2008 to 2013, as well as in 2016. In June 2010, the Indian edition of People magazine named Kapoor "India's Most Beautiful Woman," and in 2011 and 2012, Eastern Eye and Indian Maxim named her "Asia's Sexiest Woman" and "India's Hottest Woman," respectively. The following year, she was named to India Today's list of the country's most powerful women. From 2012 through 2018, Kapoor appeared on Forbes India's "Celebrity 100," a list based on the income and popularity of India's celebrities, reaching seventh place in 2012 with an estimated yearly earnings of 735 million (US$9.2 million).
Technique and analysis in performance
As a performer, Kapoor relies on her instincts and spontaneity. She is noted for giving her everything to each role and for not rehearsing for a production. In response, director Rajkumar Hirani stated, "I usually conduct rehearsals for my actors, but she insisted on not having them because it would interfere with her spontaneity." She blew me away with a couple of heartbreaking scenes that we shot in just one take." Karan Johar called Kapoor a "natural," adding, "she has no craft, grammar, or process attached to her acting." It is her strong sense of cinema that will keep her going." "Kareena is instinctive and has emotional intelligence," says Rensil D'Silva, who directed her in Kurbaan. She takes in the situation and acts accordingly. In fact, discussing the scene is harmful to her."
According to Rediff.com, "while many of her starring roles have been forgettable, a look at her filmography now would show a more thoughtful selection of roles playing to her strengths." Her early portrayal of a series of shallow characters was panned; film historian Gyan Prakash explained that these parts "tended to infantilise her, packaging her as daddy's little girl, all bubble and no fizz." Chameli (2004) was her coming-of-age film, with critics noting that "a new actor in her was discovered." Kapoor was praised for her versatility after portraying a variety of character types in Chameli, Dev (2004), Omkara (2006), and Jab We Met (2007). Filmfare magazine named two of her performances, from Omkara and Jab We Met, to its list of "80 Iconic Performances" in 2010. According to India Today, she is "the most versatile female lead in the industry," and she "plays her roles with trademark spunk."
According to Manjula Sen of The Telegraph, despite having the lowest success rate among her colleagues, her marketability is unaffected. Sen thought Kapoor's strength was her versatility; she is "effortlessly honest in her performances." Her candour spills over into her personal behaviour." "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," wrote Rituparna Chatterjee for News18. Kapoor was ranked third on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars" in 2004. She was later rated seventh and sixth in 2005 and 2006, before returning to third in 2007. Kapoor was ranked fourth on Rediff's list of the "Top 10 Actresses of 2000-2010" in January 2011.
Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards from a total of fifteen nominations. In 2000, Kapoor was named Best Female Debut for her performance in Refugee. She received a special jury award for Chameli (2003), as well as two Critics Award nominations for Best Actress for Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006). Kapoor went on to win Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Jab We Met (2007) and We Are Family (2010), respectively.
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kareena Kapoor Khan |
| Nickname | Bebo |
| Profession | Actress |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 163 cm in meters- 1.63 m in feet inches- 5’ 4” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms- 55 kg in pounds- 121 lbs |
| Figure Measurements (approx.) | 36-26-34 |
| Eye Colour | Hazel Green |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 21 September 1980 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 42 Years |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| School(s) | • Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai • Welham Girls' School, Dehradun |
| College/University | Mithibai College, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | College Dropout |
| Debut | Film: Refugee (2000) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste/Ethnicity | Khatri/Punjabi |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Address | Fortune Heights in Bandra West, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Reading, Swimming and Yoga |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | Filmfare Awards • Best Female Debut for Refugee (2001) • Special Award for Chameli (2004) • Best Actress (Critics) Award for Dev (2005) • Best Actress (Critics) Award for Omkara (2007) • Best Actress Award for Jab We Met (2008) • Best Supporting Actress Award for We Are Family (2011) International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) • Star Debut of the Year – Female for Refugee (2001) • Style Diva of the Year (2004) • Best Actress Award for Jab We Met (2008) • Best Actress Award for 3 Idiots (2010) Honours • Rajiv Gandhi Young Achiever Award (2005) |
| Boys, Affairs, and More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | 16 October 2012 |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Saif Ali Khan (Actor) |
| Children | Son- 2 • Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi (born on 20 December 2016) • Jeh (She gave birth to her 2nd son, Jeh, on 21 February 2021 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.) Daughter- None |
| Parents | Father- Randhir Kapoor (Actor) Mother- Babita (Actress) |
| Siblings | Brother- None Sister- Karisma Kapoor (Actress) |
| Favourites | |
| Food | Dal-Chawal, Pasta and Spaghetti |
| Actor(s) | Raj Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan |
| Actresses | Kajol, Nargis, Meena Kumari |
| Film(s) | Bollywood: Awaara, Sangam, Bobby, Kal Aaj Aur Kal, Hollywood: Breakfast At Tiffany's, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Love Story, Ben Hur |
| Cricketer | Virat Kohli |
| Colour(s) | Red and Black |
| Perfume | Jean Paul Gaultier’s Classique |
| Fashion Designer | Manish Malhotra |
| Travel Destination(s) | Switzerland and London |
| Style Quotient | |
| Cars Collection | • BMW 7 Series, • LX 470 SUV • Mercedes Benz S 350D (cost around Rs 1.90 Crore in India) |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | $1.47 million (Rs. 11 crore/film as of 2018) |
| Net Worth (approx.) | $60 million (INR 4.46 million as of 2018) |
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
