If you follow Indian cinema, Kareena Kapoor needs no introduction. If you are not from India or don’t follow Indian cinema, here’s a brief bio.
Some of her most iconic performances include Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Chameli, Jab We Met, Kurbaan.
She is the face of several top brands including Airtel, Anne French, Chronotech, Gitanjali, Head & Shoulders, Kurkure, Sony Ericsson, Sony Vaio, Vivel de Wills.
Name: Kareena Kapoor
Born: 21 September 1980 (age 31), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation: Film actress
Years active: 2000–present
Partner: Saif Ali Khan
Kareena Kapoor born on 21 September 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, 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.
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.
After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. 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). 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.
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 women. Her contributions to the film industry have garnered her numerous achievements including six Filmfare Awards, among nine nominations, making her a leading actress of Hindi cinema. 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.
Born in Mumbai, India, on 21 September 1980, into the Kapoor film family, Kapoor is the younger daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita her elder sister Karisma is also an actress. Often informally referred to as Bebo, she is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kareena 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 from her father’s side and on her mother’s side she is Sindhi.
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. 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.
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. This led to a conflict between her parents and resulted in Kapoor’s mother leaving the house with her daughters. 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. In an interview with Vir Sanghvi, Kareena Kapoor said that growing up in a household filled with women helped her become strong and independent. Following her parents’ reconciliation in October 2007, Kapoor explained that they “were never officially divorced … [but] … liv[ed] separately.
Asked about the relationship she shared with her father, Kareena 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.
Kareena Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. 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”. According to Kareena Kapoor, she was a good student and received first-class honours in all subjects except mathematics. 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. 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 in Churchgate; during this period she became immersed in law books and developed a long-lasting passion for reading.
However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kareena Kapoor realized that she was not inclined towards academics and returned to her initial plan to become an actress. 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).
Filmography
2000 Refugee Nazneen “Naaz” Ahmed Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut
2001 Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai Pooja Saxena
2001 Yaadein Isha Singh Puri
2001 Ajnabee Priya Malhotra
2001 Asoka Kaurwaki Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… Pooja “Poo” Sharma Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Tina Kapoor
2002 Jeena Sirf Merre Liye Pooja / Pinky
2003 Talaash: The Hunt Begins… Tina
2003 Khushi Khushi Singh (Lali)
2003 Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Sanjana
2003 LOC Kargil Simran
2004 Chameli Chameli Filmfare Award for Special Performance
2004 Yuva Mira
2004 Dev Aaliya Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
2004 Fida Neha Mehra
2004 Aitraaz Priya Saxena / Malhotra
2004 Hulchul Anjali
2005 Bewafaa Anjali Sahai
2005 Kyon Ki Dr. Tanvi Khurana
2005 Dosti: Friends Forever Anjali
2006 36 China Town Priya
2006 Chup Chup Ke Shruti
2006 Omkara Dolly Mishra Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2006 Don Kamini Cameo
2007 Kya Love Story Hai Herself Special appearance in song “It’s Rocking”
2007 Jab We Met Geet Dhillon Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2008 Halla Bol Herself Special appearance
2008 Tashan Pooja Singh
2008 Roadside Romeo Laila Voice
2008 Golmaal Returns Ekta
2009 Luck by Chance Herself Special appearance
2009 Billu Herself Special appearance in song “Marjaani”
2009 Kambakkht Ishq Simrita Rai
2009 Main Aurr Mrs Khanna Raina Khanna
2009 Kurbaan Avantika Ahuja / Khan Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2009 3 Idiots Pia Sahastrabudhhe Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2010 Milenge Milenge Priya Malhotra
2010 We Are Family Shreya Arora Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010 Golmaal 3 Daboo Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2011 Bodyguard Divya
2011 Ra.One Sonia Subramaniam
2012 Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Riana Braganza
2012 Agent Vinod Iram Parveen Bilal /
Dr. Ruby Mendes
2012 Rowdy Rathore Special appearance in song “Chinta Ta”
2012 Heroine Mahi Arora Post-production (Releasing on September 21, 2012)
2012 Talaash Post-production (Releasing on November 30, 2012)
