Kareena preparing hard for film with Kajol

She is discovering how difficult it is to play a normal girl

Kareena Kapoor is leaving nothing to chance this time. Determined to match strides with the formidable scene-stealer Kajol in the Hindi version of "Stepmom", the actress has been quietly attending acting workshops with the film's director Siddharth Malhotra.

"The last time I rehearsed for a part was for Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Omkara'. But that was a more unconventional film and role where I had to get into a milieu and character I knew nothing about. But 'Stepmom' is urban and very contemporary. I play a very normal metro-centric working girl," Kareena told IANS.

Malhotra's film is inspired by director Chris Columbus 1998 hit drama "Stepmom", a heartwarming tale of two women - divorced Susan Sarandon and the new woman (Julia Roberts) in her ex-husband's life - and the problems they face to find a common ground of understanding.

And to attend the workshops, Kareena has been stealing time out of the rehearsals for a song she began shooting with Aamir Khan in "3 Idiots". Through the workshops Kareena is discovering how difficult it is to play a normal girl. "I walk, talk, dress like an ordinary working girl. I'll be using no makeup."

Bollywood's ace designer Manish Malhotra too is having a hard time trying to bring down Kareena's glamour quotient in "Stepmom" to look like an ordinary working woman. "I couldn't cut my hair as planned because of continuity clashes. And I didn't want to cut my long hair. But I'm going for a new hairstyle," said Kareena.

The two actresses start shooting together from the end of this month.

Talking abour Kajol, Kareena said: "She's always been one of my favourite actresses. We worked together in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'. But this is something else."

There will be a lot of dramatic scenes between the two women in the movie.

"The desi version of 'Stepmom' is very different from the original. My role is also a big departure from what Julia Roberts played in 'Stepmom'," Kareena said.