Living it Up!
My appointment with Bollywood's hottest babe is fixed for sharp 5pm at her beau Saif Ali Khan's office in Bandra but she is running late. It gives me an opportunity to look around, for instance at some of Khan's photos hanging on the walls of his lounge. She finally turns up an hour and a half late, dressed in casual navy blue cotton pants teamed with a pink T-shirt, sporting a high ponytail, her face scrubbed clean. Even up close, her face is perfect. "Hey hi, extremely sorry to keep you guys waiting," Kareena's voice suddenly booms in.
Kareena Kapoor, 30, daughter of actors Randhir and Babita Kapoor, granddaughter of legendary director-actor Raj Kapoor and sister of Karisma Kapoor makes you believe that there are people who have it all: beauty, success, glamour, fame, love and happiness. She is blessed and she admits that easily. "I always wanted to be an actress, I think ever since I was born. Probably god always had big plans for me and I consider myself lucky for being born in the Kapoor family," she smiles. These days, besides her films, she has other things to smile about: her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan who, she says, understands her like nobody else, the success of her recent release Golmaal 3, a couple of hot films lined up for 2011 and not to forget, the Yuva cover!
The last ten years have been a rollercoaster ride for Kareena, who once had burnt too many bridges, had fallen out with too many people, including friend and director Karan Johar [who gave her one of her career-best roles in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) but from whom she allegedly demanded exorbitant money for a movie]. "It was as if I could not do anything right," she once said in an interview. "My every move was criticised." She signed on several high profile duds like Subhash Ghai's Yaadein (2001) and Govind Nihalani's Dev (2004).
But Kareena is known to be smart. She realised somewhere down the line that she had made all the wrong moves. So she mended the fences with most people she had fallen out with. Today, the Indian paparazzi follows her every move. Everything Kareena does is interesting. When she moved on to Saif Ali Khan after her break up with Shahid Kapoor, we read about it for over two months in every tabloid and celebrity gossip column. When she dropped weight drastically, achieving a figure that no Bollywood actress has ever managed to get, we read all about her transformation.
Now, she is living it up ' luxurious holidays, a lavish home, big movies and even bigger brands, some of which she endorses. Kareena has hiked her fees after the success of Jab We Met (2007) and there are producers out there willing to pay her a few more crores this time around. She has worked with an entire spectrum of directors, from a brooding Mani Ratnam to the makers of racy thrillers, Abbas and Mustan. Her performances have been largely varied ' from her expressive silences in Omkara (she was silent in her opening scene as she rides in the back of a cycle-rickshaw; and then breaks down when she senses her relationship is on the rocks for reasons she cannot fathom), to her enthusiasm in Jab We Met.
When Kareena talks about her turbulent past, especially about her parents' broken relationship (though they never divorced) and the vicious talk that surrounded her sister, Karisma Kapoor (who was termed a failure in the initial years of her career and often termed 'not too pretty'), she seems completely at peace with the fact that not everything is perfect. And she definitely isn't. "I have made mistakes, which I now regret," she told us in an interview. "You could say I have been undiplomatic in the past, but I have learnt my lesson. And you can't take away my success; I have worked hard for it. I have learned more from failure that I have from success."
The effervescent, visibly relaxed Kareena Kapoor tells us more about her passions, the movies she does, her boyfriend and style secrets.
* Movies *
Comfortably seated on a sofa, she tries to recall her earliest memory of Bollywood films. "It is of dancing in front of the TV, looking at other actresses' dance, when I was a kid. I was in awe of films and film stars. Those were the days of Mr India, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and then Maine Pyar Kiya. The excitement of being a part of it all was magical and my love for films was just too much to ignore. I wanted to be in films, which at that age only meant being an actress."
For Kareena, the excitement of being an actress is as palpable even today. "I think it's the actor who breathes life into a character. A talented actor always makes the part better, lending it into other dimensions. And I believe I've managed to do that well in the last ten years of my career." Now that Kareena has been part of the industry for a decade, do new releases, pressure, competition and box-office results still affect her? "Not really. I think you just need to have faith in your talent and work and keep going. Only when you have the insecurity of not having talent, do you fear competition. It's simple: if you're talented you'll last forever and if you're not, you won't last very long. That's why the Khans, despite being 45, are still the pillars of the industry. It's because of pure talent and creativity. As long as I continue to do a good job by playing different roles and entertain the audience, the competition doesn't stand a chance."
* Her career *
Unwilling to do things, including movies, unless she is convinced about them has made Kareena's journey to the top an easy one. "I look at life as a journey and this is just the beginning for me. I still have a long way to go. Yes, of course I've enjoyed it so far but it really hasn't been that easy for me. I've had immense opportunities to prove myself as an actress, which I think I've made good use of. I've had such enriching experiences, so much learning and growth," she says.
She considers the role of Naaz in her debut film Refugee as her big break, followed in succession by her first Filmfare Award for the Best Female Debut in 2000, several hits, endorsements and red-carpet appearances. Today Kareena can easily be counted among India's most recognised faces. But the actress isn't too comfortable with the glamorous tag. "I think I'm the only actress who's shown that I have more in me than just glamour. I love being called glamorous but there are a lot of people who're more glamorous than me. Moreover, I think I've done some really good work in the ten years of my acting career. So, I would really like it if people recognise me more as a good actress than just a glamour queen. The glamorous side is peripheral." This, by the way, is a big change for the actress who once only wanted to be known as a commercially viable heroine.
Kareena is one of the few actresses to have worked with all the four Khans ' Salman, Shah Rukh, Saif and Aamir. Her chemistry with Aamir in 3 Idiots has been much commented on, and the two of them have signed another film that goes on the floor next year. So, who does she feel most comfortable working with? "I've known all the four Khans since I was a child. Actually, they're all Karisma's heroes (laughs) and I feel lucky to have worked with them." And what about stars you've never been paired with? "I want to experience working with every actor. I do not have any favourites but if I haven't got a chance to work with an actor, I would like to do a film with him. In fact, you'll see me opposite Imran Khan in Short Term Shaadi, which releases early next year."
Kareena pauses in between, speaks slowly and thinks a lot through the conversation. "I would also love to do another film with Hrithik Roshan. The last time we worked together was way back for Yaadein (2001). I know him very well and I think he's extremely talented." Among the directors she hopes to work with is "Imtiaz Ali [who directed her in Jab We Met]. There's an amazing amount of respect, chemistry and bonding between the two of us. The first film we did together is considered a landmark in Indian cinema and my career. In fact, I think more than us it's the audience who wants to see us work together."
* Family *
The actress considers herself extremely lucky to have such "understanding and open-minded" parents who have supported her every which way. It's to her parents she gives credit to for her attitude. "My family is pretty cosmopolitan. They've brought up Karisma and me to be independent. I don't remember if my parents ever pressurised me about anything. We were always free to make our own decisions, be it about our career or anything else." Greatly influenced by her parents and their positive attitude, Kareena grew up as a fairly happy kid with some really good friends, and not all of them are from a filmi background.
* Style *
In recent years, she has emerged as quite a fashion icon. "Fashion is meant to be enjoyed," she says, "Beauty lies in being simple and natural. This is the real me. Also, it makes me smile when people talk about the evolution of style. I mean, no one is born with the right fashion sense. You learn as you go along. Also, I think it's about creativity and it's subjective so it will work differently for different people."
* Finding love *
In an industry where people go to any extreme to hide their relationship because of the fear of it affecting their career, how has Kareena always been so open about it? She reacts to this question by asking me another, "Why would you want to hide the fact that you're in love? [A relationship is not] something that you can hide behind the curtains. If you do that, you're disrespecting your partner in a way. I've always been open about my relationship with Saif because I'm proud to have him in my life. In fact, the more you try and hide your relationship, the more the media is going to annoy you!" (laughs). "I believe in honesty and openness. I don't come from a herd of actresses who hide their relationships. Maybe, they're just afraid of losing their fans. However, the biggest examples are Karisma and Kajol. They were both at the peaks of their careers when they got married, and are still adored by their fans. So, if you're in love why not celebrate it openly. I definitely owe the man in my life that kind of respect."
Are you wondering what draws her to Saif? She lists quite a few attributes like, "He's a wonderful human being and has a life apart from just films. The reason why he does fewer movies is because he likes to enjoy his life. He likes to read, travel and also meet new people, and so do I. He has such an active and curious life, that's what I really love about him." Okay, so when is marriage on the cards? "Soon. I'm enjoying where we are and we do see a future together."
* Her other passion *
Besides movies? Food! Did we get that right? Despite that waif-like figure, she apparently eats! "Especially good Italian food like spaghetti and pastas can really lift my mood. I'm very passionate about food but I also believe that you are what you eat, which is why I'm a pure vegetarian. Your stomach is not a graveyard. It's been more than five years since I gave up meat and I can see the difference."
Then there are movies, of course. "I like watching English movies, especially murder mysteries. I don't watch Indian television, because it's got nothing new to show you. The day I'm free, I sit down with my DVDs and keep switching from one sitcom to the other."
Source: Yuva Magazine
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