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"If you're in touch with reality, you won't crave anonymity" - Kareena
She seems to ooze attitude, but in reality Kareena Kapoor is one of the most grounded and 'real' stars in the Indian film industry. The quintessential blue-eyed girl of Bollywood pulls no punches in this one-on-one exclusively for Notch. Excerpts from an interview.
When you are not being the uber glamorous Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan's girlfriend, who are you?
I have to be alluring because of the roles I do. But otherwise I hate being glamorous. In reality, I am a very normal and simple girl. And being Saif's girlfriend hasn't changed me in any which way. He loves me for the kind of girl that I am. But of course, the perception is that I am a glamorous person. I am not an art house performer. I am an actress who is a superstar. So when someone signs me on, it's not just because of my talent but also because of my glamorous image.
Is there a releny film of yours that you would like to seeased today?
I think,Tashan. It was way ahead of its time and a very cool movie. It was the sort of masala film everyone is making now but Aditya Chopra thought of it first. Today it would do very well in single screens and multiplexes. It had terrific music and a great cast with Saif, Akshay Kumar and I.
When people obsess about your weight and your marriage does it take away from your performance?
I feel that Kareena Kapoor affects people in general whether in a positive or negative way. I have learnt to deal with it because I don't think anybody's marriage or weight has been discussed the way mine has. It's always about, 'she has lost a few pounds' and 'she has gained a few pounds' and 'now she is a size zero'. Good talk, bad talk, there's always talk. I wish people would talk less, banter less and kind of do more. I'm totally unaffected. I've been here too long to be affected by this anymore. I'm just so into my own world.
So what size are you today?
(Smiles) I think I just look good today. I am not a size zero but I am slim. I don't need to have a bikini body because I am not going to wear one on-screen.
Do you ever long for a moment of anonymity?
No, because I get that from time to time. I travel a lot and I go to small towns, in Europe where I am as normal as one could be. If you're in touch with reality you don't really crave for anonymity.
Where in the world are you most comfortable?
It would be my living room because there's lots of clutter, books and DVDs. It's warm and I like any place that's cosy because it makes me happy. Most people like open spaces but I'm different. Saif and I live together, and the room has a lot to do with him. It has a very Parisian-cum-English feel to it with rugs and stuff, which is so typical of Saif. We both like the same things.
Are you short tempered?
I think, anger needs to be managed. I try not to get angry. If I get angry, it is for like 10 seconds and then I start laughing. Being hurt is totally different. There is always a little bit of anger when you're hurt. But I can't be venomous and angry towards anyone.
Any moments of Jealousy?
I am jealous of George Clooney because he has a house in Lake Como in Italy. I am jealous of Scarlett Johansson because she has this amazing house in Beverly Hills. And I have to travel to Powai ( a suburb in Mumbai) in the heat like I have done today. That's the extent of my jealousy. Envy is a negative quality and I am not a negative person at all.
And shame?
If you are conscious about shame and you are concerned about it then you shouldn't do things that make you feel that way. I would never do anything because of which I would need to feel ashamed.
When you read a script, what do you look for - Kareena Kapoor moments?
A script obviously has to excite me and make me want to get on to the sets. But if by Kareena Kapoor moments you mean scenes which are performance heavy, then yes, I do look for them. Like my new film Heroine, which is not just a physical journey but is a journey of the mind too, a more cerebral film. But getting back to performance scenes, the audience expects it of me and if they aren't there in a movie, the audience will be disappointed.
How important are your breaks to you?
Very important. I want to travel the world. And no, not backpacking. When I'm travelling I like my luxury, that's why I work so hard. I want to travel to the Amalfi coast on the Italian Riviera. The French Riviera is great but there are little places in Italy which are amazing. There are so many museums around the world to see. As actors, we are so caught up in the rut of discussing films, whether it's at home, in the van, or anywhere. Wherever you turn, people are only talking about a film's collection and the money it made --- it's sad. Because I am not a reader, I travel. Some people like to read about places on paper, I like to see them.
Have you ever had a moment of self- doubt?
Initially when my films weren't doing well, I was always like, 'I don't know, what the outcome of this is going to be.' All I knew is that this is where I want to reach so I have to do it. It's like climbing a mountain. You know you just have to do it. I am going to keep going and I don't care what people say. People keep saying I will get married and leave but how do they know I'm not married already? I could well be married and giving hits like Bodyguard. So marriage is not the end of the world. I could be married and still climbing the mountain. When I am there, I'll enjoy the view. I've never had self- doubt because there was never anything else that I wanted to do.
When you see marriages breaking down all around you, does it scare you?
You can either be cynical about marriage or you can embrace it. Marriage and relationships are a free fall. You can't really plan and say if my marriage is going to work - whether it's going to be the best marriage or the worst. If you are in love, then you should settle down. I have always been in a relationship. I have been with Saif for four-and-a- half years. I have been honest about it and it really hasn't hampered my status or stopped my films from doing well.
Do you have any particular expectations from marriage?
No, because for me, nothing is going to change. If two people are in love and they are living together, I don't know what they expect to change. Just like in my relationship, I will continue to expect love, fidelity, truth and respect.
What do you look forward to the most at the end of a working day?
Just going back home, putting my feet up and watching a sitcom on Apple TV. When I don't do my yoga in the morning, I look forward to doing it in the evening. Mine is a very simple life, there's nothing exotic about it other than when I am travelling on holiday. I sleep pretty early. I can't have too many late nights, unless I am going out. On a normal working day, my lights are out by midnight. But on my day off Saif and I watch movies or chat till two in the morning so then I wake up late, around noon. I look forward to spending an afternoon in bed - just watching TV or reading or doing my own thing.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I have no idea. Obviously I'll keep working. I have never planned anything. But I can see myself taking a holiday to the Amalfi coast.
And in ten years?
Oh God! If I don't know five, 10 will be like crazy. Just as long as I am happy, five years, 10 years doesn't really matter. At the end of the day if I am happy and healthy everything else will follow.
Source: Notch Magazine
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