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The business of being Kareena Kapoor
Everything from her love life to her screen persona has been grist for the mill. Here, Kareena Kapoor gets candid
The 28-year-old actor, immaculately dressed in a fitted, formal shirt and jeans which she picked up barely 48 hours ago in London, has returned to Mumbai by an early morning flight from Goa, where she was shooting for 'Golmaal Returns', a comic caper, directed by Rohit Shetty.
"I'll be busy like this for the next year," she sighs, refusing to eat or drink anything, preferring to start the interview instead.
She'll be in Mumbai for 72 hours before heading out of the country on another shoot. In that brief interlude, she will spend whatever little time she can manage at home with her family and celebrate her recent victory: the Zee Cine Awards trophy in London for the best actor (female) for her role as Geet, the effervescent Sardarni from Bhatinda, in 'Jab We Met'.
She will then go to Melbourne where she's shooting for 'Main Aur Mrs Khanna', a film opposite Salman Khan, based on a young NRI couple and their struggles to cope with marriage. Kareena, among the highest paid female actors of our times, is on a tight schedule. She also charges around Rs 2.5-3.5 crore per film. Trade analyst Komal Nahata says Kareena's forthcoming films — these include Rajkumar Hirani's 'Idiots' with Aamir Khan, Karan Johar's 'My Name is Khan' with Shah Rukh, Yash Raj Films' animation project 'Roadside Romeo', and others — are pegged at Rs 130 crore.
A top-notch director, on condition of anonymity, informs that Kareena's price has increased seven times since 2005 when she was paid around Rs 50 lakh for a film.
In the Indian advertising industry, experts are fast attaching the tag of "endorsement queen" to her name. Shveta Brahma, Kareena's endorsement manager at Matrix Bay, says she's one of the very few actors who combines pedigree with performance.
For each endorsement, Kareena quotes Rs 1.5-2 crore and with nine endorsements already in her kitty and four more planned before the year end (this includes an Airtel ad with beau Saif Ali Khan that she's reportedly signed for Rs 5 crore), she will comfortably earn another Rs 17 crore.
Collectively the brands that she endorses have annual marketing campaigns to the tune of Rs 100 crore, at the very least, including Globus (Rs 20 crore), Emami (Rs 15 crore) Anne French (Rs 10-12 crore), Citizen watches (Rs 15 crore) and ITC Vivel (Rs 30 crore).
On her part Kareena, drumming perfectly manicured nails, smiles, "Growing up in a family where everyone is associated with films, I was never exposed to any other culture. I don't know any other life," she says, a 10-carat diamond ring dazzling on her ring finger.
It's the same ring that has fuelled speculation in glossies and film magazines on her status — engaged? married? The actor isn't telling ("silence is golden," she says), willing to discuss her body of work but not her personal life.
It certainly makes sense because films like 'Chameli', 'Dev', 'Omkara', 'Jab We Met' and 'Tashan', the latter's flop status notwithstanding, have helped her tremendously in expanding her fan base.
Her weight has been a subject of controversy but Kareena rolls her eyes when I mention that dreaded word: anorexia. "Do I look anorexic, c'mon you tell me?" she shrills. I admit that she doesn't. Her dietician, Rujuta Diwekar, who meticulously altered Kareena's diet over a year to help her achieve the lean look, claims, "Kareena's diet is balanced and includes everything from brown rice and pasta to cheese and fresh veggies."
Diwekar plans Kapoor's diet (eight mini meals every day) at least a week in advance depending on which part of the world she will be in.
"I'm vegetarian and can't possibly shoot with just a shred of cabbage in my stomach. It's physically impossible," retorts Kareena, saying that being associated with brands that have a mass appeal, she would not like to be responsible for young girls starving themselves to clone her look.
Directors like Subhash Ghai feel she deserves every bit of success that's coming her way now. His only grouse is that like her peers, Kareena is toeing every director's line just to succeed. "She's very intelligent but she needs to be careful," he warns.
Imtiaz Ali, director of 'Jab We Met', says he's yet to work with an easier actor. "In the film, especially the first half, Geet goes on a talkathon, but there's no sense of irritation. That's Kareena's charm, the more you see her, the more you like her," he says.
Saif Ali Khan, who worked with her in 'Omkara' and 'Tashan', claims to have seen Kareena memorise a whole page of dialogue in under a minute. "Her choices of roles speaks volumes about the sort of work she's done. She's by far the most professional actor I have ever worked with," says Khan.
Kareena agrees: "I've always given a nod to roles which tell a story from a woman's point of view. Even the role of Pooja in 'Tashan,' despite being glamorous, had an edgy character."
She may be the number one female actor in the industry with projects worth Rs 230 crore (endorsements + films), but Kareena could be a newbie the way she requests a copy of this article.
"I like keeping cuttings," she admits shyly. A group of guests whisper as she leaves, and heads turn. The fourth generation of the Kapoors is a mystery ("No one can know any star too well," she grins towards the end of our interview) who is trying to do all that she can in the limited time that the industry offers its female actors.
"The audience tastes change every Friday," she tells me. For now, though, Kareena is the flavour of the weekend.
Her weight has been a subject of controversy but Kareena rolls her eyes when I mention that dreaded word: anorexia. "Do I look anorexic, c'mon you tell me?" she shrills. I admit that she doesn't. Her dietician, Rujuta Diwekar, who meticulously altered Kareena's diet over a year to help her achieve the lean look, claims, "Kareena's diet is balanced and includes everything from brown rice and pasta to cheese and fresh veggies."
Diwekar plans Kapoor's diet (eight mini meals every day) at least a week in advance depending on which part of the world she will be in.
"I'm vegetarian and can't possibly shoot with just a shred of cabbage in my stomach. It's physically impossible," retorts Kareena, saying that being associated with brands that have a mass appeal, she would not like to be responsible for young girls starving themselves to clone her look.
Directors like Subhash Ghai feel she deserves every bit of success that's coming her way now. His only grouse is that like her peers, Kareena is toeing every director's line just to succeed. "She's very intelligent but she needs to be careful," he warns.
Imtiaz Ali, director of 'Jab We Met', says he's yet to work with an easier actor. "In the film, especially the first half, Geet goes on a talkathon, but there's no sense of irritation. That's Kareena's charm, the more you see her, the more you like her," he says.
Saif Ali Khan, who worked with her in 'Omkara' and 'Tashan', claims to have seen Kareena memorise a whole page of dialogue in under a minute. "Her choices of roles speaks volumes about the sort of work she's done. She's by far the most professional actor I have ever worked with," says Khan.
Kareena agrees: "I've always given a nod to roles which tell a story from a woman's point of view. Even the role of Pooja in 'Tashan,' despite being glamorous, had an edgy character."
She may be the number one female actor in the industry with projects worth Rs 230 crore (endorsements + films), but Kareena could be a newbie the way she requests a copy of this article.
"I like keeping cuttings," she admits shyly. A group of guests whisper as she leaves, and heads turn. The fourth generation of the Kapoors is a mystery ("No one can know any star too well," she grins towards the end of our interview) who is trying to do all that she can in the limited time that the industry offers its female actors.
"The audience tastes change every Friday," she tells me. For now, though, Kareena is the flavour of the weekend.
FORTHCOMING RELEASES
1) 'Main aur Mrs Singh'
Produced by UTV. Kareena is paired with Salman Khan
2) 'Golmaal Returns'
Directed by Rohit Shetty. Kareena will star opposite Ajay Devgan
3) 'My name is Khan'
Directed by Karan Johar. Kareena pairs with Shah Rukh Khan
4) 'Idiots'
Directed by Rajkumar Hirani. Kareena is paired with Aamir Khan
5) 'Roadside Romeo'
Directed by Jugal Hansraj, Kareena is doing the voice-over along with Saif Ali Khan for this animation project
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