'Kareena's a Dharma favorite' - kJo + 5 directors

This week sees the release of her fifth film with Karan Johar's banner

Upala KBR (DNA; November 20, 2013)

Kareena Kapoor didn't begin her career with Karan Johar's banner Dharma Productions, but she seems to be the producer's favourite leading lady. Gori Tere Pyaar Mein which releases this week will be her fifth film for KJo and there are two more in the offing. A Dharma-Balaji co-production Badtameez Dil and Shuddhi with Hrithik Roshan. Which brings her count to more than KJo's favourite Kajol who has done four films with him " Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, We Are Family and My Name is Khan.

Bebo, the star
Kareena has never done so many films for one banner. It talks about her friend in the producer. The Dharma man is also very fond of the actress and considers her family. Talking about their association, Karan Johar says, "I have known Bebo as a child as we both come from filmi families but I didn't know her well till I met her at a media party when she was just 17. Kareena was standing like a super star in a corner. But even back then she had tremendous confidence. Her sister Karisma was a big star by then and Bebo didn't have a single release but even then she was already a movie star in her head. If anybody could be Poo (her character in K3G) it was Kareena. After she played Poo, Kareena took it into a few other films too. I have seen her evolve as an actress. She did a lot of fun films and string of roles but it was after Chameli and Dev that she was noticed as an actress who possessed great talent. I feel her career's biggest landmark was Jab We Met after which she emerged as a solid director's favourite."

Bebo, my friend
Though she is almost a decade younger than me she is one of my dearest friends. I treat her like a younger sister and will always be very fond of her. She is like a member of my house and family. We share a warm and very close relationship. Kareena is a extremely emotional. She is also the only friend I have ever fought with. I never fight with my friends as you may have noticed. That's because she's amongst the very few who can touch my emotions on a deeper level. After Kal Ho Naa Ho we didn't talk to each other for a year and would look through each other at events. I have never done that with anybody. We patched up when my father was unwell. Kareena found out and called me to check if I was okay. We share a comfort zone where we can talk for hours. Nobody can make me laugh as much Bebo does! Even though she may have her share of ups and downs as an actress, she will always be a movie star. You can't take that away from her. She is born with it. Acting is in her DNA. Obviously she's a Dharma favorite and all the directors in my production house love her. Till date she has never said no to any film I have gone to her with.

Rensil D Silva - Kurbaan (2009)
Kareena is quite easily the best actress I've worked with as a writer and a director, she's very chilled out. And good fun to have around. She's beautiful and talented: that's a lethal combination. The last scene in Kurbaan was very demanding. where Kareena had to break down and remember a long monologue. She did it so perfectly on take one that everyone was moved on the set. It's moments like these when you know she's the real thing. And the real thing is hard to find these days. She's completely a director's actor.

Punit Malhotra - Gori Tere Pyar Mein (2013)
I had worked as an AD in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum and found Kareena to be a livewire " as hot and pretty as anyone could be! She is carefree, bindaas and fun to work with so when I had the option I jumped at it. When Imran and I were discussing her name I was hesitant to approach her as she's a big star. But surprisingly even before my narration got over she said she was doing my film. Imran and I have always had a rapport but after GTGM Kareena and I also got along really well. She is the sweetest star to work with and no tantrums at all. Kareena delivers with such ease what you ask her to do that when you see her on screen you just have a smile on your face. In the second half of the film she had to help in the construction of a bridge. I didn't expect her to do it and was getting sleepless nights thinking how to ask her. But she did the shot with such ease and took care of all my fears. We completed the scene in just over six days. When things would go haywire on the sets it was Kareena who would take control on the sets.

Shakun Batra - Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012)
Even before I finished the script Kareena had said yes. She's the best possible actress I could find. I had hoped to have her act in my first film, it was my dream. The first time I met her I was an AD on the sets of Don where she was doing the Yeh mera dil song. I was the hair-blower on the sets and I had to blow her hair. While scripting EMAET I thought if not for this one maybe sometime in the future I would work with her. I have always been a big fan of hers. As an actress she's instinctive and she takes a scene on paper and owns it completely. That's the hallmark of any really good actor. They make the scene theirs, take it ahead and make it more honest and sincere. The best thing about her acting is that she makes it look effortless. She makes her performance look so easy that on the edit table you start to fall in love with her. Yes it is God's gift but the craft has to be honed too. Everybody talks about how good an actor one is because of the dramatic and emotional scenes. I feel what's more special are the smaller stuff like saying I love you, Thank you and I am sorry as they tend to lose their meaning. When Kareena says that she does it with such honesty and sincerity that you feel she is really feeling those emotions. That is a very rare quality.

Siddharth Malhotra - We Are Family (2010)
Bebo is undoubtedly the best actor that we have in the country besides Kajol, she is a complete package of looks and talent and a directors delight. She feels a scene and all you need is one or two takes and you have got your shot. Her persona is warm and the one quality I noticed which shows her class is she treats her staff and the ones she loves as her own family. She is fun and her energy is infectious atleast on the We are Family set everyone by the end was speaking her lingo and words going "faaabbb". The one quality that separates her from the others is perhaps she is "irreplaceable". When you think of her you can't think of an option once you have worked with her.