'Hrithik and I are very similar'--Karisma Kapoor!

By Bharati Dubey

"The audience accepting me has been a heart-warming experience"

Karisma Kapoor has travelled a long road in the last ten years. From being regarded dismissively as a glamourous, flippant Kapoor girl, out to have fun in the world of Hindi films, Karisma is today seen as a commendable actress with potential for heart wrenching performances. Equally at home in both commercial and art film setups and eager to explore both, Karisma has proved the strength of her determination. Indya.com met the Kapoor girl, with the flush of Fiza still visible on her pretty face.

What kind of reactions did Fiza get for you?
I felt like a newcomer once again. I felt as if my pre-Raja Hindustani days were back. It has been a heart-warming and emotional experience for me, people's acceptance, because Fiza marks a new phase of my acting career. Phone calls, flowers and good wishes from critics to friends just overwhelmed me. I always believed that people would be happy that I was doing this kind of cinema too. But to actually have people coming up to me and telling me that "we loved you in Fiza", these things mean a lot of me. My parents too were very happy since they had not even seen a frame of Fiza during the making.

Was the crying scene after Jaya Bachchan's death in Fiza okayed in one take?
Yes. Khalid had asked me to emote as I thought fit. I thought about how a very young quiet girl, who had gone through so much of trauma would feel about her mother leaving her. It had to be a dramatic outburst. I can't watch that scene to date.

Hrithik finds a lot of similarities between him and you. Do you see any similarity?
I find Hrithik a very good actor. That's why we have vibed well and it comes across on the screen. If the chemistry between the two of us was missing at a certain level, the film wouldn't have moved people. He is a perfectionist and so am I. That way we are pretty similar.

After the success of Fiza, have you been getting offers for similar roles?
Yes, just like it had happened after Raja Hindustani and Dil To Pagal Hai. But I don't want to get typecast. I want to aim at being better than I was in Fiza. And my next film, Shyam Benegal's Zubeidaa, too is different. People like my look and the general feel of the film. I am glad that people have accepted me in these serious roles, because I have enjoyed myself as an artiste doing films like Fiza and Zubeidaa. I like taking up these challenges. Just sitting and having a conversation with Shyam Benegal enriches me as a person and as an artiste because he is such a wonderful director. You learn something everyday and that's what I am here for.

What kind of homework did you do for Fiza and now Zubeidaa?
For Fiza, I saw a lot of photographs. I met a number of young Muslim girls who are modern in some ways and at the same time very traditional since I wanted to strike the right balance between the two in my portrayal of Fiza. As a modern girl studying in St Xaviers' College, Fiza had to project both confidence and at the same time she had to show extreme sensitivity. For my role in Zubeidaa, I had to do more extensive homework because it's a period film. My make-up, hairstyle, and mannerisms had to match those of the original Zubeidaa, who was an actress. I have seen photographs of Zubeidaa, a number of pictures in books; I have sat and talked with Shyamji and his daughter Piya Benegal. We have tried to adapt as closely as possible.

Are you cutting down on glamourous roles?
No. After acting in over 50 films , today what gives me a high is my ability to balance a David Dhawan and Indra Kumar hardcore commercial film with a film like Fiza and a Zubeidaa. You know actresses normally do these kind of roles when they are not in their prime or when they are not getting prime roles. Thankfully I have been lucky, and I am getting the best of both worlds and I want to continue that way, do something unusual and different.

Are you getting more choosy, since you have raised people's expectations with Fiza?
I think I have always chosen a movie from my heart and that's how it will be. I have never manipulated any roles. When a film like Dil To Pagal Hai was offered to me, I wanted to do it. No other heroine was ready to accept the challenge. When I look at a movie, I ask, Will I be comfortable with it ? If my heart says, yes, I just do it. Of course I know expectations are very high. The only thing I can guarantee is that I will give my 100 per cent.. I try to add that extra little zing to it.

Are you doing any David Dhawan film at the moment?
Not as of now, but I am sure it will happen.

When is the next RK film being launched?
They are still working on the scripts and if at all a film happens I think my father will direct it. It is about time.

Do you think your sister Kareena is making the right career moves?
Yes. From her first film, people have liked her performance and she has proved herself as an actress. She is very young and should do different kind of roles. She did a Refugee, now she is doing an Ashoka with Santosh Sivan, and at the same time she is doing a film each with Subhash Ghai and Karan Johar. This mix of films is good, because this way she will not get typecast in the college girl roles. And I don't think, she would be satisfied doing only those kind of roles anyway.

What went wrong with Refugee?
I'll be the wrong person to analyse this because it is my sister's first film and is very dear to me. And my dad's assistant has directed it.

When will Karisma and Kareena be seen together on screen?
I am sure we will, but let her have a couple of more releases.

What are the highs and lows of being an actress?
Being an actress is quite wonderful. I didn't join this line to make money or be glamorous or have my photos printed in a magazine. I didn't need to do all this. I joined this profession to be an actress. I have literally grown up in this industry. My first film was released before my 16th birthday, it was like I was out of school and on the sets. I have grown up into a young lady in this industry and the process has been reflected on the screen. I have matured as a performer. I am glad that I have climbed up the ladder and not come crashing down immediately. The law of gravity pulls you down; but what matters is how long you can sustain it over there. I don't regret anything in my career. I try to make something good out of the bad as well.

A lot is being talked about your marriage. Comment.
The issue keeps coming up every month. I have cleared it a 100 times. I think, getting married is the most important thing in a person's life. I wouldn't want to hide it from anyone. The day I decide to quit or the day I decide to get married, I would like everyone to know. I have no marriage plans for the near future. One day I definitely want to get married. Not right now.

Are you going to quit films after marriage?
That depends on whom I marry. Acting is an addiction, anyway I really haven't thought about it.

Courtesy of Cinemaa Indya (November 2000)