- R. M. Vijayakar, Special to India-West
- May 07, 2012
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Karisma Kapur in "Dangerous Ishhq."
The reigning queen of the '90s (alongside Madhuri Dixit and Kajol) as Karisma Kapoor was the first female from India's first film family – the Kapoors — to turn actor.
Today, she goes by the name of Karisma Kapur (after her marriage to Sanjay Kapur in 2003) and is mother of two lovely kids – Samaira, 7 and Kiaan, 2. Having quit films (though her last release, "Mere Jeevan Sathi," only released in 2006), she is back with Vikram Bhatt's 3-D thriller, "Dangerous Ishhq," at a time when younger sis Kareena Kapoor is the undisputed queen bee of the marquee.
The star charisma (or should we say 'Karisma') is not only intact but enhanced. The lady looks younger than her age, she is as grounded as she always was at her starry peak, and the warmth and pedigree come through so naturally. India-West meets her at the Hotel Sun'N'Sand, and a request to have her picture clicked is instantly accepted with a stylized pose in the foyer.
Earthy, ebullient and effervescent, you could easily fall in 'Dangerous Ishhq' with her nature. Excerpts from an interview:
Q: You said you took a sabbatical. Now that you are back, how are your kids taking it?
A: I have been and am a normal, hands-on, full-time mother. I do everything that all moms do! I wake up early and make their meals, give them a bath and take them out, play with them and look after Samaira's studies too! But now, I thought that I should do the occasional film without letting their needs suffer. The only change is that I am late for an occasion like this, which I cannot help, and I really apologize for coming late. Samaira asked me today why I was dressing up and going at this time of the afternoon, and I had to tell her that it was because I had to meet people about my film!
Q: Did a single day pass when you were not asked when you will get back to working?
A: (Laughs) I must say that everyone – family, friends, colleagues, my fans as well as the press - were always wanting and also encouraging me to return to films, and they are all happy that I am doing a film again, but I was very clear that I would concentrate on my family in these past few years. "Dangerous Ishhq" was the right film at the right time. The film I chose had to be worth the time I would have to spend away from my kids, had to be something I had never done before, and thirdly, as a mother, there are always things that I may not want to do anymore as an actor. I play a determined, strong woman of today. Certain things happen in Sanjana's life and to her fianc, and she is convinced that the answers to those things lie in her past births. And she is determined to find out the truth. My fans should come to watch the Karisma Kapur of 2012 and not the actress I was!
Q: "Dangerous Ishhq" is about past-life regression. How much do you believe in that?
A: It's scary, but there's evidence to believe that it is true. But about the future, I would love to be an actor again and continue the family legacy. In fact, I am sure that I will be an actor!
Q: Even in the past, you were very lucky with your songs. What do you think of the music of "Dangerous Ishhq?"
A: Himesh Reshammiya has outdone himself. The music is very good indeed - soulful and in synch with the needs of the story.
Q: How did you take to 3-D and how would "Dangerous Ishhq" be any lesser if it was a normal film?
A: 3-D has enhanced the narration. The film covers so many timeframes and locations and when you see the depth in the shots with me seemingly on the outside, the viewer will think that he or she is right next to me in the various locations and time periods. From the shooting point of view, it took some getting used to the 3-D camera, but it was great fun.
Q: In this short absence, a lot of things have changed in Hindi cinema. How do you view these changes?
A: I always did many heroine-centric roles even in my time, like "Fiza,""Zubeida" and "Biwi No.1" and many more. But in that era, people were conscious of how old a heroine was, and her marital status restricted her. Today's audiences do not care how old you are and whether you a mother. They just want to watch a good film and a good performance. So if a Kajol alone suits a "My Name Is Khan," so be it. Today, it's no longer about an actress asking how many songs, dances or scenes she has and how many costumes she will wear! It's about becoming a character, oftener than not in an ensemble cast.
Q: Today, the director and cast watch the shots being taken on a monitor instead of later on the studio screen as 'rushes'.
A: Oh C'mon, main itni bhi purani nahin hoon! (Makes a wide-eyed moue) The first film in which a monitor was used, for the record, is my "Dil To Pagal Hai!"
Q: You fave heroes - the three Khans, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn – who are all going strong even now and have also co-starred successfully with Kareena and heroines much younger to them. Will they work with you now?
A: Why shouldn't they? I certainly hope to work with some of them! I have been off work but I have remained in touch with all of them personally, and they were the ones actually surprised that my teenage sister Kareena who used to sometimes accompany me on the sets actually became their heroine! In fact, I would love to do a remake of only one of my mom's films, "Farz" and I cannot think of anyone other than Salman Khan to play Jeetendra uncle's role!
Q: That brings us to you real comeback that not many people know about – last year's biggest hit "Bodyguard."
A: (Laughs) Oh, that's an interesting story! There were a few comic sequences in which Kareena's character fools Salman Khan's by changing her voice on the 'phone. Salman insisted on my doing that dubbing to make it believable, as he said that he wanted a voice that was similar yet somewhat different to Kareena's. In fact, he just called me up one day and summoned me to the dubbing studio immediately! I came to know what he wanted only when I reached there!
Q: And the secret to your great looks and fitness today is…?
A: I have always been into fitness. I have always followed a healthy lifestyle and even endorsed only those products that enhance health, like Kellogg's cereals or California Almonds. All I have done for this film are maybe some extra workouts. But there's no dieting for me – c'mon, I am a Kapoor, we love to eat and I eat everything! But I follow moderation in quantity.
Q: 21 years down since your debut in "Prem Q:uaidi," how do you look back at your career?
A: I was 16 when I started out, thanks to the firm backing of my mother and the support of my father. I am happy that I have grown with every movie. My father and our entire Kapoor clan believe in the dictum of hard work and that we must keep entertaining the audience with every film. Awards have never been so important to us. I have followed that too. Even Kareena's doing that and she has been spectacularly successful because of the same reason.
Q: What did you think about your father Randhir and uncle Rishi Kapoor sharing screen space for the first time in "Housefull 2"?
A: It was great fun. My daughter especially loved to see her nanu and nanu chacha together!
Q: If you were offered a movie co-starring Kareena, what kind of film would you like it to be?
A: Very definitely, a fun movie.
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