Kareena Kapoor
Encyclopedia
Kareena Kapoor often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 films. During her career, Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...

, among nine nominations, and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary romantic dramas
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...

 to comedies
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

, period films to major Bollywood productions, as well as less publicised independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

s.

Born into a family where her parents, Randhir Kapoor
Randhir Kapoor
Randhir Kapoor is a Bollywood actor, producer and director. His nickname is Daboo.-Early life:Randhir Kapoor hails from the legendary Kapoor family. He is the eldest son of Raj Kapoor. He is a fourth generation Kapoor and comes from a distinguished Punjabi Hindu family who have been part of the...

 and Babita
Babita
Babita is an Indian actress. She is now better known as the mother of actresses Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor and the wife of Randhir Kapoor.- Early life :...

, and elder sister Karisma
Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...

 were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age, but did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee
Refugee (film)
Refugee is a Bollywood film directed by J. P. Dutta, released on 30 June 2000. The film marked the debut of Abhishek Bachchan, son of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, and Kareena Kapoor, the sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and part of the famous Kapoor family. Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty and...

. Her melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...

 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... became India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market in 2001, and is one of her biggest commercial successes to date. After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...

, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and she was later noted for her performances in the critically acclaimed projects Dev
Dev (film)
Dev is a 2004 Hindi movie, directed by Govind Nihalani-Plot:Joint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh, a duty-bound, self-righteous officer, and Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla, the balancing force between the political interests of Chief Minister Bhandarker and Dev's commitment to the...

 (2004) and Omkara
Omkara (film)
Omkara is a 2006 Indian film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, co-written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. It starred Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles, supported by Vivek Oberoi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Konkona Sen Sharma with a cameo role from Bipasha Basu...

 (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Jab We Met
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a 2007 Hindi romantic comedy film directed and written by Imtiaz Ali. The film, produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together...

, a romantic comedy
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...

 directed by Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali (director)
Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director, actor and writer. His 2007 film Jab We Met was a huge success in India. His 2009 film Love Aaj Kal was a bigger success and was declared a super-hit by Box Office India.His recent movie Rockstar has been declared successful at the box office.- Early life...

. She went on to play the lead female role in the thriller Kurbaan
Kurbaan (2009 film)
Kurbaan is a Bollywood film directed by Rensil D'Silva and produced by Karan Johar. The film, set against the backdrop of global terrorism, features Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in pivotal roles along with Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Rupinder Nagra, Om Puri and Kirron Kher...

 (2009), for which she earned critical acclaim, and the drama 3 Idiots (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. Having done so, Kapoor has established herself as a leading actress of the Hindi film industry. In addition to movie acting, Kapoor is a regular stage performer and has launched her own clothing line in association with being the brand ambassador for the retail chain Globus
Globus (Clothing)
Globus is a retail clothing store, based in Mumbai, India. Its part of the Rajan Raheja group. The chain store has recently launched 150 stores in India.Kareena Kapoor has become the brand ambassador, and plans to launch her own clothing line with the store....

. Her off-screen life, including her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....

, is the subject of wide media coverage in India.

Early life and background

Born in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, India, on 21 September 1980, into the Kapoor film family, Kapoor is the younger daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor
Randhir Kapoor
Randhir Kapoor is a Bollywood actor, producer and director. His nickname is Daboo.-Early life:Randhir Kapoor hails from the legendary Kapoor family. He is the eldest son of Raj Kapoor. He is a fourth generation Kapoor and comes from a distinguished Punjabi Hindu family who have been part of the...

 and Babita
Babita
Babita is an Indian actress. She is now better known as the mother of actresses Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor and the wife of Randhir Kapoor.- Early life :...

 (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....

  Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...

, is also an actress. She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...

, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor , 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was a pioneer of Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry, who started his career as an actor, in the silent era of Hindi cinema, associated with IPTA and who founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling theatre company based in Mumbai, in...

, and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...

. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger...

, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. Often informally referred to as Bebo, she is of Punjabi
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...

 descent from her father's side, and on her mother's side she is Sindhi
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...

.
As a child, she had strong aspirations to become an actress, and was particularly inspired by watching the films of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 actresses Nargis
Nargis
Nargis Dutt , born Fatima Rashid but known by her screen name, Nargis, was an Indian film actress. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting carer began in 1942 with Tamanna...

 and Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...

. Kapoor, who describes herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", would regularly dress up in her mother's clothes and perform in front of the mirror. Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering the acting profession because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family. This led to a conflict between her parents and resulted in Kapoor's mother leaving the house with her daughters. After her parents' separation, she was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991. Following her parents' reconciliation in October 2007, Kapoor explained that they "were never officially divorced ... [but] ... liv[ed] separately." Asked about the relationship she shared with her father, Kapoor remarked, "My father is ... an important factor in my life. [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now."

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School
Jamnabai Narsee School
Jamnabai Narsee School is a private school in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded on January 17, 1971 and is managed by the Narsee Monjee Education Trust. The school building is unusual in architecture with three clusters of hexagonal classrooms, each with a central foyer...

 in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School
Welham Girls School
Welham Girls School is a boarding school for girls located at the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun, India...

 in Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...

. She later recalled, "I learnt so much from being at Welham", and described her experience there as "one of the finest parts of my life". According to Kapoor, she was a good student and received first-class honours in all subjects except mathematics. Upon graduating from the boarding school, she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College
Mithibai College
Mithibai College of Arts, Chauhan Institute of Science & Amruthben Jivanlal College of Commerce and Economics also knowns as Mithibai College is a prestigious and popular college in Vile Parle, Mumbai, India. Mithibai College is affiliated with the University of Mumbai...

 in Vile Parle
Vile Parle
Vile Parle , also known as "Parla", is a suburb of Mumbai. Vile Parle is also the name of the railway station in this suburb, on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway railway line. Vile Parle has a significantly strong base of Marathi and Gujarati population. The name "Vile Parle" has...

, Mumbai, but later confessed that she only studied there because she was close to her family. Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College
Government Law College, Mumbai
The Government Law College, also known as GLC and located in Mumbai, India, is the oldest and one of the most distinguished law schools in India...

 in Churchgate
Churchgate
Churchgate is an area in downtown South Mumbai. During the eighteenth and up to the mid 19th century, Bombay was a walled city. The city walls had three gates, and Church Gate, named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai was one of the gates. The gate was situated near the present day location of...

; during this period she became immersed in law books and developed a long-lasting passion for reading. However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor realized that she was not inclined towards academics and returned to her initial plan to become an actress. She began training at an acting institute in Andheri, mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India , is an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It is fully aided by Central Government of India. It is situated in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune, India...

 (FTII).

2000–03: Debut and breakthrough

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan (Hindi: राकेश रोशन (born Rakesh Roshan Lal Nagrath on 6 September 1949 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is a producer, director and former actor in Bollywood films who was born in a Punjabi Hindu Kayastha family...

's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai is a 2000 Bollywood film directed by Rakesh Roshan. The film marks the debut of his son Hrithik Roshan and also the debut of Ameesha Patel. Hrithik played a double role in the film, and became an overnight superstar in India.Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai won many awards, including...

 (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...

. Several days into the filming, however, she abandoned the project and later explained that, "it was probably destined that I was not to be in the film. After all, it was a launch for his son. The whole focus was on the boy. Now I am glad I did not do the movie."

She made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war drama Refugee
Refugee (film)
Refugee is a Bollywood film directed by J. P. Dutta, released on 30 June 2000. The film marked the debut of Abhishek Bachchan, son of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, and Kareena Kapoor, the sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and part of the famous Kapoor family. Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty and...

, alongside Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....

. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...

, the film centers on a man known simply as "Refugee", who illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

i girl who falls in love with Refugee while illegally migrating to Pakistan with her family. Her performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....

 of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....

 wrote that Kapoor "has a magnetic personality, which will make the viewer fall in love with her instantly. What surprises you is the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes [...] There is no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." On the experience of making her first film, she described it as "...tough ... [but] also a great learning experience." Refugee became the fifth highest-grossing film in India in 2000, and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

In 2001, Kapoor appeared opposite Tusshar Kapoor
Tusshar Kapoor
Tusshar Kapoor is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor and brother of Ekta Kapoor. He studied at the University of Michigan and graduated with a BBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.Tushar made his debut with Mujhe kuch kehna hai alongside...

 in the romantic drama Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
-Reception:Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai received mixed reviews from critics, though mostly positive. Whereas at the box office, the film opened to a weak start, but due to the word-of-mouth, surprisingly it grossed 13.50 crores on its opening weekend. Due to its good opening, it collected 22 crores...

, which became one of the highest earners of the year. A review in The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...

, in regards to her performance, noted that she was "definitely the actress to watch out for, if her debut with Abhishek in Refugee and now Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai are any indication [...] Kareena shines throughout the flick, with the grace of a seasoned sizzler already." She next starred in Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. His most notable films include Kalicharan ,Karz , Hero , Meri Jung , Karma ,Ram Lakhan ,Saudagar , Khalnayak , Pardes and Taal...

's family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff
Jackie Shroff
Jackie Shroff is an Indian actor. He has been in the industry for more than 28 years and has appeared in over 150 films.-Personal life:...

 and Hrithik Roshan. The drama centers on the character of Raj Singh Puri, a middle-class man, and his daughters' marriages. Kapoor played the part of the youngest daughter and Roshan's love interest, Isha Singh Puri. The film was met with negative reactions from reviewers and garnered poor box office returns. Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan
Abbas-Mustan
Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla are a Hindi Bollywood director duo. They are known for directing films in the thriller and action genres. They have frequently cast Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna in their films...

 thriller Ajnabee. The feature was adapted from the 1992
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...

 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 thriller film Consenting Adults, and was a moderate box office success in India.

Later in the year, she played the female lead in Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, film director, and producer who has worked in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema....

's period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. It was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...

 and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival
2001 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2001 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 6 to September 15, 2001. There were 326 films from 54 countries scheduled to be screened during the ten-day festival...

. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....

 who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki
Kaurwaki
Queen Kaurwaki was a fisherwoman and later on became one of Ashoka's wives.Legends says that Kaurwaki was daughter of a fisher man. It is said that she led an army of females against Ashoka in Kalinga, after Kalinga had no males left to defend it...

—a princess of Kalinga
Kalinga (India)
Kalinga was an early state in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa/Utkal , as well as the Andhra region of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Damodar/Ganges to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to...

 with whom Ashoka falls in love—and received her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's performance received a mixed reaction from critics. Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....

 concluded that "while a large portion of the first half is focused on the emerging romance between the runaway prince and herself and to their credit they do manage to whip up some on-screen chemistry, I am still unsure as to her acting abilities." Meanwhile, David Rooney from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...

 wrote, "Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like J.Lo
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 meets Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng is a Hong Kong-based Malaysian Chinese actress, well known for performing her own stunts in the action films that brought her to fame in the early 1990s....

."

Her final release of 2001 was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., a melodrama, in which she featured as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...

, Jaya Bachchan
Jaya Bachchan
Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan is an Indian actress and politician. She is an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Bachchan is the wife of Amitabh Bachchan, and is the mother of Shweta Bachchan-Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan...

, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol
Kajol
Kajol Devgn , better known as Kajol, is an Indian film actress appearing in Hindi films. She is regarded as one of India's most successful and talented female actors....

 and Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Karan Johar
Karan Johar
Karan Johar is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and Television host. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar. He is one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and the...

, the movie was a major financial success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year, as well as Kapoor's highest-grossing movie up until then. It also performed well internationally and became one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over worldwide. Kapoor's performance as "Poo", a good-natured but superficial girl, was described as "one of the main ... highlights of the film", and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a setback in her career. She was in six films—Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
- The Medley :The film featured a medley of eighteen songs which was a major hit with the audience. The songs contained mostly old songs with a few modern songs. Most of the songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar were sung in her earlier years...

, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye is a 2002 Bollywood film starring Tusshar Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles. It is directed by Talat Jani and produced by Vashu Bhagnani. It is a remake of 2001 Telugu movie 'Manasantha Nuvve' starring Uday kiran and Reema sen.- Synopsis :Jeena Sirf Merre Liye is...

, Talaash: The Hunt Begins...
Talaash: The Hunt Begins...
Talaash: The Hunt Begins... is a Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in title roles. It is directed by Suneel Darshan and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani.- Plot Summary :...

, Khushi
Khushi (2003 film)
Khushī is an Indian Bollywood film released on 7 February 2003, starring Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor in main roles, directed by S. J. Suryah and produced by Boney Kapoor under Narsimha Enterprises. The movie was a failure at the box office...

, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon is a 2003 Bollywood film by Sooraj R. Barjatya and a production by Rajshri. The film is a remake of the 1976 film Chitchor and features Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan in the lead roles...

, and the four-hour war epic LOC Kargil
LOC Kargil
LOC Kargil is a 2003 Bollywood war film based on the Kargil War, directed and written by J. P. Dutta. The film stars a large number of Bollywood stars.- Plot :The film is an attempt to dramatize a synopsis of the 1999 Kargil War ....

—all of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India. Kapoor's performances were often identified by critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. They expressed concern that she was becoming typecast
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...

, but these negative reviews were fundamental in motivating her to improve her integrity as an actress in subsequent years by accepting more demanding roles.

2004–06: Critical acclaim

Following the negative period in Kapoor's career, 2004 marked the beginning of her work in more serious films, most of which would bring her critical acclaim rather than commercial success. Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra
Sudhir Mishra
Sudhir Mishra is an Indian film director and screenwriter most renowned for directing critically acclaimed films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Dharavi and Chameli.-Early life and education:...

, Kapoor portrayed the role of a prostitute in Chameli. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker (played by Rahul Bose
Rahul Bose
Rahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jhankaar Beats. Time magazine named him "the superstar of Indian arthouse cinema" for his work in parallel cinema films like English,...

), and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. When Kapoor was initially offered the role in 2002, she refused it, stating that she was reluctant to play a bold role at the beginning of her career. However, when the director again approached her a year later, she agreed to do the film and viewed it as an opportunity to show the range of her acting skills. To prepare for the role, she visited several of Mumbai's red-light district areas
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...

 at night to study the dress and mannerisms of sex workers. Upon release, the film and Kapoor's performance opened to predominantly positive reviews by critics, with the Indiatimes
Indiatimes
Indiatimes is the Internet subsidiary of The Times of India Group, under which, some of the largest websites in India - The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times and Maharashtra Times operate....

 praising her "intuitive brilliance" and stating that she had exceeded all expectations. Another reviewer, however expressed concern that they found her portrayal unconvincing and excessively stereotypical, describing her as "sounding more like a teenager playacting than a brash, hardened streetwalker", and likening her mannerisms to that of a caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...

. Nonetheless, Kapoor's portrayal of Chameli garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award and the film marked a significant turning point in her career as an actress.

She next co-starred in Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...

's bilingual project Yuva
Yuva
Yuva , originally titled Howrah Bridge is a feature film directed by Indian director Mani Ratnam and released in 2004. Simultaneously made in Hindi and Tamil , the prime objective of the movie was to motivate educated Indian youths to enter politics.The film tells the stories of three young men...

 alongside Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.- Early life :Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his...

, Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. In the course of her film career, she has received six Filmfare Awards, among twelve nominations....

 and Esha Deol
Esha Deol
Esha Deol is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini.-Personal life:...

. The film, consisting of three chapters, tells the story of six individuals linked by a car accident. Kapoor is featured in the third chapter as Oberoi's love interest, Mira, a young witty woman. In a review published by The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...

, film critic Subhash K Jha described her role as "fey and insubstantial", but further stated that "she turns these character traits to her own advantage to create a girl who is at once enigmatic and all-there, a bit like the film itself which is both mysterious and voluptuous". She then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan
Fardeen Khan
Fardeen Khan is an Indian Bollywood actor.-Early life:Fardeen Khan was born to actor turned director Feroz Khan and mother Sundari. Grandson of Sadiq Ali Khan and Fatima Khan. He is the nephew of actors Sanjay Khan and Akbar Khan. He is the cousin of Suzanne Khan and actor Zayed Khan. He lived in...

 in Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...

's critically acclaimed film Dev
Dev (film)
Dev is a 2004 Hindi movie, directed by Govind Nihalani-Plot:Joint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh, a duty-bound, self-righteous officer, and Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla, the balancing force between the political interests of Chief Minister Bhandarker and Dev's commitment to the...

, which revolved around the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh
Zaheera Sheikh
Zaheera Sheikh , aka Zahira Sheikh, is the key witness in India's Best Bakery case. She is the daughter of the owner of the bakery involved in the Best Bakery case....

, a key witness in Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...

's Best Bakery case
Best Bakery case
The Best Bakery case was a legal case involving the burning down of the Best Bakery in Vadodara, India, on March 1, 2002...

. It earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. The award is given by the chosen jury of critics assigned to the function, and is a derivation from a previous award known as the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance,...

, as well as nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh commented, "Kareena Kapoor is first-rate. Sporting a deglamorized look, the actress takes a giant leap with this film. Her scene with Amitabh Bachchan (when the latter asks for witnesses to come forward) is an example of superb acting."

Shortly afterwards, she was cast for the first time as a villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...

 in the thriller Fida
Fida
Fida is a Bollywood movie released in 2004. The film, directed by Ken Ghosh, stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Fardeen Khan and Kim Sharma. Though the film released to critical acclaim, it was a flop at the box-office.-Plot:...

. The film follows the story of an on-line robbery and the Mumbai underworld with which her character Neha Mehra becomes involved. During the filming of Fida, Kapoor entered into a relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He is also a trained dancer.Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal . Four years later, he made his acting debut in Ishq...

, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life." Although the film did not succeed at the box office, Kapoor garnered positive reviews for her performance, with some critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles. Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's thriller Aitraaz
Aitraaz
Aitraaz is a 2004 Bollywood thriller film starring Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, directed by Abbas-Mustan. Chopra received the Filmfare Best Villain Award for her performance. This film was largely based on the 1994 Hollywood movie Disclosure...

 and Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...

's comedy Hulchul, both of which did well at the Indian box office. Following the success of her last two releases, she was cast as the protagonist in the 2005 drama Bewafaa
Bewafaa
Bewafaa is a 2005 Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Shamita Shetty, Manoj Bajpai and Kabir Bedi. The film is directed by Dharmesh Darshan who later directed films like Raja Hindustani and Dhadkan...

. The feature received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor's portrayal of Anjali Sahai, an unfaithful woman, was not well-received. Nikhat Kazmi of Indiatimes believed that in an effort to become a serious actress, Kapoor was embodying a maturer, more jaded character ahead of her years in Bewafaa which appeared peculiar for a young woman of her age. She then starred in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki
Kyon Ki
Kyon Ki is a 2005 Bollywood film directed by Priyadarshan and starring Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rimi Sen, Jackie Shroff, Om Puri and Sunil Shetty. The film is a remake of the 1986 Malayalam film Thalavattam...

, a film that relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...

, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure, though Kapoor's performance was generally enjoyed by critics, with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 reporting that she is "[...] a pure natural when it comes to acting."
In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke
Chup Chup Ke
Chup Chup Ke is a 2006 Bollywood film directed by Priyadarshan. Originally titled as Khatta Meetha, the story of the film is adapted from the Malayalam film Punjabi House , with a tagline of "Love meets confusion meets love." The film has Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their third film...

; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona
Desdemona (Othello)
Desdemona is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello . Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a man several years her senior. When her husband is deployed to Cyprus in the service of the...

 in Omkara
Omkara (film)
Omkara is a 2006 Indian film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, co-written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. It starred Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles, supported by Vivek Oberoi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Konkona Sen Sharma with a cameo role from Bipasha Basu...

, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...

's Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...

. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, music composer and playback singer.-Early life:Bhardwaj was born in Bijnor but raised in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to Satya Bhardwaj, a homemaker, and Ram Bhardwaj, a popular poet and lyricist. His father was a government employee and...

, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....

 and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...

. Omkara was embraced by critics and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award; her performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...

. Kapoor herself considers her role in Omkara as a "new benchmark" in her career and has made comparisons between her portrayal of Dolly and her own evolving maturity as a woman.

Following Omkara, she stopped acting for a short time, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes". In an interview with The Times of India, Kapoor commented, "In my initial years in the industry, I pushed myself to do a lot of work because I was greedy. I did some films – which I now regret – purely for the money. Today, I want to do selective films"; she later described this period as a way of "finally getting to do the things I have always wanted to do."

2007–present: Jab We Met and other works

Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...

 girl with a strong zest for life, in the Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali (director)
Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director, actor and writer. His 2007 film Jab We Met was a huge success in India. His 2009 film Love Aaj Kal was a bigger success and was declared a super-hit by Box Office India.His recent movie Rockstar has been declared successful at the box office.- Early life...

 directed romantic comedy Jab We Met
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a 2007 Hindi romantic comedy film directed and written by Imtiaz Ali. The film, produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together...

 (2007). Featured opposite Shahid Kapoor, the film relates the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, with a domestic box office of . Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including her second Screen Award as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...

 from CNN-IBN noted, "Uninhibited and spontaneous, Kareena Kapoor is the soul of this picture, its biggest strength, as she brings alive her character with not just those smart lines, but with the kind of candor actors seldom invest in their work." While shooting for Jab We Met, Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship. Asked in Mumbai Mirror
Mumbai Mirror
Mumbai Mirror is a largest compact newspaper in the city of Mumbai with a daily circulation of over 600,000 copies. Its first issue was published on May 30, 2005 by the Times Group, the publishers of The Times of India newspaper....

 about their well-publicized break-up, she stated that "I hold him in utmost regard, and I hope one day we could be good friends. He is a great guy." During this period, speculation began to surface that she was dating actor Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....

, her co-star in the film Tashan
Tashan (film)
Tashan is an Indian Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles. Produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films, it was released 25 April 2008, and marked the directorial debut of Vijay Krishna Acharya.- Plot :In the beginning,...

; Khan later confirmed their relationship to the media during Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra is considered to be India's leading and most successful fashion designer.Manish Malhotra has designed for many leading actresses in Bollywood. He is known for his different style and his ability to envision a 'look' for the character. He is known for designing the costumes for...

's grand finale show at the 2007 Lakme Fashion Week.
The following year, she co-starred alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film Mashaal ....

 in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action-thriller Tashan. Though a poll conducted by Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....

 named it as the most anticipated release of the year, the film eventually became a commercial and critical failure. She next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films
Yash Raj Films
Yash Raj Films is an Indian Entertainment company set up by Yash Chopra, an Indian film director and producer who is considered an entertainment mogul in India.-Initial years:...

 and Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...

 animated film Roadside Romeo
Roadside Romeo
Roadside Romeo is a 2008 computer animated musical comedy film written and directed by Jugal Hansraj and co-produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures...

. It was the second Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for the role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor then appeared in Rohit Shetty
Rohit Shetty
Rohit Shetty is an Indian film director, presenter and cinematographer. His work as director include the hits Golmaal, Golmaal Returns, Golmaal 3 and Singham....

's comedy Golmaal Returns
Golmaal Returns
Golmaal Returns is a 2008 Bollywood comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty. The film is a sequel to the 2006 film, Golmaal Fun Unlimited with Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor and Arshad Warsi reprising their roles and Shreyas Talpade taking on the role originally played by Sharman Joshi. Kareena Kapoor,...

, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi
Arshad Warsi
Arshad Warsi is an Indian actor who debuted in 1996 with the film Tere Mere Sapne which was a success but he is best known for his role as "Circuit" in the comedy films Munnabhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munnabhai and his role as Babban in Ishqiya which won him acclaim.-Early life and...

 and Tusshar Kapoor
Tusshar Kapoor
Tusshar Kapoor is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor and brother of Ekta Kapoor. He studied at the University of Michigan and graduated with a BBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.Tushar made his debut with Mujhe kuch kehna hai alongside...

, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received an ambivalent reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...

 believed the screenplay was unoriginal, concluding, "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Kareena plays it." Golmaal Returns was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of internationally.

In 2009, Kapoor was cast as Simrita Rai opposite Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...

 in Sabbir Khan's battle of the sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, it became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. The film earned over worldwide, but was a critical failure. The Times of India described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "despite her haute-coutured look, micro minis [and] pencil heels, she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon." She next played the leading female role in the dramatic thriller Kurbaan
Kurbaan (2009 film)
Kurbaan is a Bollywood film directed by Rensil D'Silva and produced by Karan Johar. The film, set against the backdrop of global terrorism, features Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in pivotal roles along with Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Rupinder Nagra, Om Puri and Kirron Kher...

, alongside Saif Ali Khan and Vivek Oberoi. The film, which marked the directorial debut of Rensil D'Silva, featured Kapoor in the role of Avantika Ahuja, a woman who is confined to house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...

 after finding out that her husband is a terrorist. She described the film as "an emotionally draining experience", which did not let her disconnect from her character during shooting. Upon release, the film was critically embraced and Kapoor received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination. According to Subhash K Jha, "Kurbaan belongs to Kareena Kapoor. In her most consistently-pitched performance to date she pulls out all stops to play a betrayed wife with splendid sensitivity. Kareena accommodates her radiant beauty into an utterly credible character and performance. At her best, Kareena is incomparable. She proves it in Kurbaan."

Her final release of the year was Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani is a National Award and Filmfare Award winning Indian director, screenwriter and film editor of Hindi films, best known for the films Munna Bhai MBBS , Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots , considered the highest-grossing Hindi film by distributor-share.-Early life and...

's drama 3 Idiots, a film loosely based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat
Chetan Bhagat
Chetan Bhagat , is an Indian author, columnist, and speaker. Bhagat is the author of five bestselling novels, Five Point Someone , One Night @ the Call Center , The 3 Mistakes of My Life , 2 States & Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, Ambition...

. Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan
Aamir Hussain Khan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema....

, R. Madhavan
R. Madhavan
R. Madhavan is an Indian actor, writer, film producer and television host. Madhavan has received a Filmfare Award, an award from the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards alongside recognition and nominations from other organisations...

 and Sharman Joshi
Sharman Joshi
Sharman Joshi is an Indian film and theatre actor. He has worked on various stage productions in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati languages. However, he is mostly known for his work in Hindi films.-Personal life :...

, Kapoor starred as Pia, an independent-minded medical student and Khan's love interest. On acting alongside Khan, Kapoor revealed that it was "a dream come true" and further stated that her journey as an actress was "finally complete". The feature received much critical devotion and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing at the Indian box office. It also did well internationally and earned over , the second biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market. The Deccan Herald
Deccan Herald
The Deccan Herald is a leading English-language daily newspaper distributed in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is published by the Printers Private Limited and has a number of editions in Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and Gulbarga....

 opined that Kapoor "brings a dollop of sunshine and feminine grace to an otherwise masculine tale. She is so spunky and spontaneous you wish there was room for more of her." During the 55th Filmfare Awards
55th Filmfare Awards
The 55th Filmfare Awards were held on February 27, 2010 at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. The awards given for 30 categories, out of which there were 3 special awards, 3 critics awards and 24 main awards for Hindi films released in 2009. There were 60 nominations for the top 10 categories, which...

, Kapoor received another Best Actress nomination for her role.

In 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy Milenge Milenge
Milenge Milenge
Milenge Milenge is a Bollywood film that was released on 9 July 2010. Inspired by the 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity, the movie is directed by Satish Kaushik and stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fifth film together after Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met . Other members from the cast...

, a production that had been delayed since 2005. The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Kapoor's role was small and was not well-received. She next took the supporting role of the career-oriented Shreya Arora in We Are Family
We Are Family (2010 film)
We Are Family is a Hindi film directed by Siddharth Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar. The project features actors Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles, and is an official remake of the 1998 film Stepmom. It released worldwide on September 3, 2010, and a day before in India...

, the Hindi adaptation of the 1998
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...

 Hollywood release Stepmom
Stepmom (film)
Stepmom is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, and Ed Harris.The film was a commercial success, but a moderate critical success.-Plot:...

. Prior on commencing work for the project, Kapoor explained that she did not want to watch the original film in an attempt to "interpret the role...in my own style". Reaction to the film was mostly lukewarm, but Kapoor's performance drew positive reviews and ultimately won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress; critic Priyanka Roy of The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...

 reported that Kapoor "[...] breathes life and a new-found maturity into what is largely a uni-dimensional character lacking depth." At the end of the year, Kapoor reunited with director Rohit Shetty for his sequel
Golmaal 3
Golmaal 3 is a 2010 Bollywood comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty. A sequel to the 2008 film Golmaal Returns, the project stars most of the actors from the previous film, including Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. New additions to the cast include...

 to the 2008 release Golmaal Returns. Like its predecessor, the project was met with mixed reactions from reviewers, though became the most successful entry in the Golmaal film series, earning more than domestically. For her portrayal of the tomboy Daboo, Kapoor went on to receive several Best Actress nominations at a number of award ceremonies, including Filmfare. A review in MiD DAY described her as "[the film's]...real hero...who takes the story forward."

By July 2011, Kapoor completed shooting for the Hindi remake of the 2010 Malayalam film Bodyguard, and the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 Ra.One
Ra.One
Ra.One is a 2011 Indian science fiction superhero film written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film features Shahrukh Khan in dual roles, and also stars Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma and Arjun Rampal in the lead...

. She is scheduled to appear in Dharma Productions
Dharma Productions
Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film company founded by Yash Johar in 1976.- Other projects :Dharma Productions and NDTV recently decided to jointly launch an entertainment television channel called NDTV Imagine.- Controversy :...

' Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu alongside Imran Khan
Imran Khan (actor)
Imran Khan is an Indian American film actor. He is the nephew of actor Aamir Khan and producer-director Mansoor Khan.Khan rose to stardom for his debut role in the 2008 blockbuster film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. The film won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut...

, as well as Sriram Raghavan
Sriram Raghavan
Sriram Raghavan is an Indian film director and screen writer. He is notable for producing a 45-minute documentary on Indian serial killer Raman Raghav and 2004 Hindi feature film Ek Hasina Thi produced by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Urmila Matondkar and Saif Ali Khan. His second feature film was...

's action-thriller Agent Vinod
Agent Vinod (2011 film)
Agent Vinod is an upcoming Hindi action-thriller film starring Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the project is not a remake of the 1977 action film Agent Vinod, which was directed by Deepak Bahry.-Production:...

, both of which began principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....

 in late 2010.

Stage performances

Kapoor has been part of several stage shows and world tours since 2002. Her first world tour, the Heartthrobs: Live in Concert, was successfully performed across the United States and Canada alongside Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...

, Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...

, Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal , born 26 November 1972, is an award-winning Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films, as well as a fashion model.- Film career :...

, and Aftab Shivdasani
Aftab Shivdasani
Aftab Shivadasani is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He started as a child actor in commercials and has performed in over 40 films. He also co-wrote and helped produce the film Aao Wish Karein. He started his career as a child artist in the movie Mr. India. Shivdasani is currently...

. At the end of the year, she performed alongside several Bollywood stars at the Kings Park Stadium
Kings Park Stadium
Kings Park , is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa, which was originally built in 1891 and extensively renovated in the 1990s...

 in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, for the show Now or Never. Four years later, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...

, Zayed Khan
Zayed Khan
-Early life:Khan's parents are former Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan and interior designer Zarine Khan. Khan is the youngest of four children. His older sisters are Simone Khan , Sussanne Roshan , and Farah Khan Ali...

, John Abraham
John Abraham (actor)
John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...

, Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He is also a trained dancer.Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal . Four years later, he made his acting debut in Ishq...

, Esha Deol
Esha Deol
Esha Deol is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini.-Personal life:...

 and Mallika Sherawat
Mallika Sherawat
Mallika Sherawat is a former Indian model, now working as an actress in mainly Bollywood films. Known for her bold onscreen attitude, Sherawat has been frequently featured in the media as a sex symbol...

. The concert was showcased in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and went on to become a success. In 2008, Kapoor participated in Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....

's Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif is a British Indian actress and former model who appears in Indian films, mainly in the Hindi-language film industry. She has also appeared in Telugu and Malayalam films. She was voted the sexiest Asian woman in the world by Eastern Eye in the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011...

, Ganesh Hegde
Ganesh Hegde
Ganesh Hegde , is an Indian singer, performer, video director and Bollywood choreographer.-Choreography:Born in a Bunt family in Mumbai.His parents are Harish Subbaya Hegde and Vidya Hegde, Hegde is best known for his work in the Oscar-nominated film Lagaan and for his musical numbers in Company...

, Javed Ali
Javed Ali
Javed Ali is an Indian playback singer. He has been singing in Hindi movies from 2000 but shot to fame in 2007 when he sang the song "Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein" from the movie Naqaab and thereafter another big hit "Jashn-e-Bahaaraan" from the movie Jodhaa Akbar . He is currently one of the leading...

 and Anusha Dandekar
Anusha Dandekar
Anusha Dandekar is a Sudan born Australian-Indian actress and VJ.She has 2 other sisters Shibani Dandekar- who is elder to her & Apeksha Dandekar who is younger to her....

, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. Several months later, she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

's Festival City Arena
Dubai Festival City
Dubai Festival City is a large residential, business and entertainment development in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Touted as a "city-within-a-city", Dubai Festival City is the Middle East's largest mixed-use development: all elements for work, living, and leisure will be contained...

.

Humanitarian work

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, while in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert, to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...

. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

 to boost the morale of the jawan
Jawan
Jawan refers to a young man in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Punjabi. It can also refer to a "donkey" in the Bengali language. In the Indian subcontinent, it has additionally taken on the reference to an infantryman, and is used in much the same meaning as soldier in English...

 troops for a special Holi weekend
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...

 episode on the NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...

 show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team. During her 2010 appearance at the NDTV Greenathon, Kapoor adopted the village of Chanderi
Chanderi
Chanderi चंदेरी شندرئ is a town of historical importance in Ashoknagar District of Madhya Pradesh state in India. It is situated at a distance of 127 km from Shivpuri,37 km from Lalitpur,55 km from Ashok Nagar and about 45 km from Esagarh It is surrounded by hills southwest of...

 in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

 to provide them with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. Several months later, Kapoor was roped in by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 and FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 for their international campaign, 1GOAL Education for All
1GOAL Education for All
1GOAL Education for All campaign is run by the . Working with football and the footballing community, raises public awareness and involvement in achieving education for all the 67 million children out of school worldwide...

. The project consisted of a group of individuals raising public awareness and involvement in achieving education for children. Upon joining the project, she said: "Education is a way to emancipation. It is not just freedom from poverty but also from hopelessness. Countries in Southeast Asia have a high level of poverty […] and we should do something to help erase this. I would like to contribute in some way or other to help spread this awareness." In March 2011, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Kapoor was appointed as the brand ambassador of the Shakti campaign, a project launched by the television company, NDTV, to help fight violence against women.

Clothing line

In August 2007, Kapoor replaced actress Soha Ali Khan
Soha Ali Khan
- Early life :Khan was born into the erstwhile princely family of Pataudi. She has Muslim Pashtun ancestry through Nawabs of Pataudi lineage from her father's side and Bengali Hindu ancestry from her mother's side...

, when she was hired as the brand ambassador for the clothing chain Globus
Globus (Clothing)
Globus is a retail clothing store, based in Mumbai, India. Its part of the Rajan Raheja group. The chain store has recently launched 150 stores in India.Kareena Kapoor has become the brand ambassador, and plans to launch her own clothing line with the store....

 on a two-year contract. Vinay Nadkarni, CEO of Globus Stores Pvt Ltd, explained that in an attempt to move away from being a multi-branded retail chain to adopting a single brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different brand ambassador for its new business ventures. On being appointed by Globus, Kapoor commented, "I am delighted to be the face of Globus [...] I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation". Since her start, it was reported that the brand had experienced a 75 percent increase in sales.

Several months later, Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, thus becoming the first Indian actress to do so. She said, "I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for". Kapoor further stated that she would also be involved in the planning and designing process of the clothing as well. Her clothing line debuted several months later in stores across India and was well-received by the public. Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kapoor expressed her desire of working with an international design house to release her clothing line internationally; she later explained that her plans had to be put on hold due to prior commitments.

In the media

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the Bollywood film industry
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. As a child, Kapoor regularly attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita
Babita
Babita is an Indian actress. She is now better known as the mother of actresses Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor and the wife of Randhir Kapoor.- Early life :...

 and sister Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...

, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming. In an interview with Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...

, she said that growing up in a film family helped her develop a sense of professionalism towards her work and remain grounded as a human being. Kapoor's off-screen life has been subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her weight and diet. She also created headlines with her much publicized breakup with Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He is also a trained dancer.Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal . Four years later, he made his acting debut in Ishq...

 and her subsequent relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....

. Often referred to as India's "Brangelina
Brangelina
Brangelina is a celebrity supercouple consisting of American actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Pitt has appeared in over 40 major films, including 12 Monkeys , Ocean's Eleven , and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , while Jolie has appeared in over 30 major films, including Girl, Interrupted...

" ("Saifeena") by the press, her relationship with Khan has become one of the most reported celebrity stories in India since 2007. In recent years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor has developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and has gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press with no reservations.

As one of her most distinctive physical features, Kapoor's lips have been cited by the Indian media as her trademark. Her off-screen image has been open to much debate and criticism. While a section of the press has described her as friendly and extremely close to her family, others have described her as arrogant and vain, an image she gained after the portrayal of her snobbish character "Poo" in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). She subsequently went on to play similar characters in her films from 2002–03, which further established her off-screen as well as her on-screen image as an actress. Prior to the release of Chameli (2004), in which she played the role of a sex worker, Kapoor stated that, "there is a certain image that people identify you with. It always follows you whichever role you play. I am trying to transgress this image and become more screen-friendly than image-friendly." Following the release of Chameli, which helped her gain a new on-screen image, Kapoor was asked about her off-screen image. During an interview, she explained that as a child she was always taught to be self-confident, a trait she says was often misunderstood by the media for her arrogance.

In 2004, Kapoor appeared third on Rediff's
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....

 list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. She has been featured frequently on other Rediff lists, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses", "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women" and "Women of Many Faces". Today, Kapoor is considered as one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India. Her look and performances have established her as a style icon for young girls and women. In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper DNA
DNA (newspaper)
Daily News and Analysis is an Indian Broadsheet published in the English language from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Bangalore and Indore in India. It was Launched in July 2005, targeted at a young readership....

, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons. According to the UK magazine Eastern Eye
Eastern Eye (newspaper)
Eastern Eye is a British weekly newspaper. It was created in 1989 and was first published by The Guardian, before becoming a standalone newspaper.The company behind Eastern Eye changed several times since its foundation by Sarwar Ahmed...

, Kapoor was ranked fourth in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2009; she had been previously ranked eighth in 2007 and third in 2008. She became the only actress to be featured on CNNGo's
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

 list of "Who Mattered Most in India" and was described as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...

 in 2010. In July 2010, Kapoor was placed eighth in Filmfare Magazines annual power list, an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Refugee
Refugee (film)
Refugee is a Bollywood film directed by J. P. Dutta, released on 30 June 2000. The film marked the debut of Abhishek Bachchan, son of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, and Kareena Kapoor, the sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and part of the famous Kapoor family. Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty and...

Nazneen "Naaz" Ahmed Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut
2001 Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
-Reception:Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai received mixed reviews from critics, though mostly positive. Whereas at the box office, the film opened to a weak start, but due to the word-of-mouth, surprisingly it grossed 13.50 crores on its opening weekend. Due to its good opening, it collected 22 crores...

Pooja Saxena
2001 Yaadein Isha Singh Puri
2001 Ajnabee Priya Malhotra
2001 Asoka Kaurwaki Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... Pooja "Poo" Sharma Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
- The Medley :The film featured a medley of eighteen songs which was a major hit with the audience. The songs contained mostly old songs with a few modern songs. Most of the songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar were sung in her earlier years...

Tina Kapoor
2002 Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye is a 2002 Bollywood film starring Tusshar Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles. It is directed by Talat Jani and produced by Vashu Bhagnani. It is a remake of 2001 Telugu movie 'Manasantha Nuvve' starring Uday kiran and Reema sen.- Synopsis :Jeena Sirf Merre Liye is...

Pooja / Pinky
2003 Talaash: The Hunt Begins...
Talaash: The Hunt Begins...
Talaash: The Hunt Begins... is a Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in title roles. It is directed by Suneel Darshan and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani.- Plot Summary :...

Tina
2003 Khushi
Khushi (2003 film)
Khushī is an Indian Bollywood film released on 7 February 2003, starring Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor in main roles, directed by S. J. Suryah and produced by Boney Kapoor under Narsimha Enterprises. The movie was a failure at the box office...

Khushi Singh (Lali)
2003 Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon is a 2003 Bollywood film by Sooraj R. Barjatya and a production by Rajshri. The film is a remake of the 1976 film Chitchor and features Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan in the lead roles...

Sanjana
2003 LOC Kargil
LOC Kargil
LOC Kargil is a 2003 Bollywood war film based on the Kargil War, directed and written by J. P. Dutta. The film stars a large number of Bollywood stars.- Plot :The film is an attempt to dramatize a synopsis of the 1999 Kargil War ....

Simran
2004 Chameli Chameli Filmfare Award for Special Performance
2004 Yuva
Yuva
Yuva , originally titled Howrah Bridge is a feature film directed by Indian director Mani Ratnam and released in 2004. Simultaneously made in Hindi and Tamil , the prime objective of the movie was to motivate educated Indian youths to enter politics.The film tells the stories of three young men...

Mira
2004 Dev
Dev (film)
Dev is a 2004 Hindi movie, directed by Govind Nihalani-Plot:Joint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh, a duty-bound, self-righteous officer, and Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla, the balancing force between the political interests of Chief Minister Bhandarker and Dev's commitment to the...

Aaliya Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. The award is given by the chosen jury of critics assigned to the function, and is a derivation from a previous award known as the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance,...

2004 Fida
Fida
Fida is a Bollywood movie released in 2004. The film, directed by Ken Ghosh, stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Fardeen Khan and Kim Sharma. Though the film released to critical acclaim, it was a flop at the box-office.-Plot:...

Neha Mehra
2004 Aitraaz
Aitraaz
Aitraaz is a 2004 Bollywood thriller film starring Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, directed by Abbas-Mustan. Chopra received the Filmfare Best Villain Award for her performance. This film was largely based on the 1994 Hollywood movie Disclosure...

Priya Saxena / Malhotra
2004 Hulchul Anjali
2005 Bewafaa
Bewafaa
Bewafaa is a 2005 Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Shamita Shetty, Manoj Bajpai and Kabir Bedi. The film is directed by Dharmesh Darshan who later directed films like Raja Hindustani and Dhadkan...

Anjali Sahai
2005 Kyon Ki
Kyon Ki
Kyon Ki is a 2005 Bollywood film directed by Priyadarshan and starring Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rimi Sen, Jackie Shroff, Om Puri and Sunil Shetty. The film is a remake of the 1986 Malayalam film Thalavattam...

Dr. Tanvi Khurana
2005 Dosti: Friends Forever
Dosti: Friends Forever
Dosti: Friends Forever is a 2005 Hindi romance film directed by Suneel Darshan starring Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol in the lead roles...

Anjali
2006 36 China Town Priya
2006 Chup Chup Ke
Chup Chup Ke
Chup Chup Ke is a 2006 Bollywood film directed by Priyadarshan. Originally titled as Khatta Meetha, the story of the film is adapted from the Malayalam film Punjabi House , with a tagline of "Love meets confusion meets love." The film has Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their third film...

Shruti
2006 Omkara
Omkara (film)
Omkara is a 2006 Indian film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, co-written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. It starred Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles, supported by Vivek Oberoi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Konkona Sen Sharma with a cameo role from Bipasha Basu...

Dolly Mishra Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. The award is given by the chosen jury of critics assigned to the function, and is a derivation from a previous award known as the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance,...


Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2006 Don: The Chase Begins Again Kamini Cameo
2007 Kya Love Story Hai
Kya Love Story Hai
Kya Love Story Hai is a 2007 Bollywood film starring Ayesha Takia and Tusshar Kapoor in the lead roles. It is directed by debutant Lovely Singh and produced by Adlabs Films Ltd and V R Entertainers. The film was shot in Cape Town, South Africa. The tagline of the movie is What if... Simplicity is...

Herself Special appearance in song "It's Rocking"
2007 Jab We Met
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a 2007 Hindi romantic comedy film directed and written by Imtiaz Ali. The film, produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together...

Geet Dhillon Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2008 Halla Bol
Halla Bol
Halla Bol is a Hindi film released on 11 January 2008, and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, whose earlier films include The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Khakee . Halla Bol stars Ajay Devgan and Vidya Balan in pivotal roles and 11 celebrities in the Hindi Film Industry celebrities who appear in the...

Herself Special appearance
2008 Tashan
Tashan (film)
Tashan is an Indian Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles. Produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films, it was released 25 April 2008, and marked the directorial debut of Vijay Krishna Acharya.- Plot :In the beginning,...

Pooja Singh
2008 Roadside Romeo
Roadside Romeo
Roadside Romeo is a 2008 computer animated musical comedy film written and directed by Jugal Hansraj and co-produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures...

Laila Voice
2008 Golmaal Returns
Golmaal Returns
Golmaal Returns is a 2008 Bollywood comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty. The film is a sequel to the 2006 film, Golmaal Fun Unlimited with Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor and Arshad Warsi reprising their roles and Shreyas Talpade taking on the role originally played by Sharman Joshi. Kareena Kapoor,...

Ekta
2009 Luck by Chance
Luck by Chance
Luck By Chance is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Zoya Akhtar. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the film stars Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma in the lead roles...

Herself Special appearance
2009 Billu Herself Special appearance in song "Marjaani"
2009 Kambakkht Ishq Simrita Rai
2009 Main Aurr Mrs Khanna Raina Khanna
2009 Kurbaan
Kurbaan (2009 film)
Kurbaan is a Bollywood film directed by Rensil D'Silva and produced by Karan Johar. The film, set against the backdrop of global terrorism, features Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in pivotal roles along with Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Rupinder Nagra, Om Puri and Kirron Kher...

Avantika Ahuja / Khan Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2009 3 Idiots Pia Sahastrabudhhe Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2010 Milenge Milenge
Milenge Milenge
Milenge Milenge is a Bollywood film that was released on 9 July 2010. Inspired by the 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity, the movie is directed by Satish Kaushik and stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fifth film together after Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met . Other members from the cast...

Priya Malhotra
2010 We Are Family
We Are Family (2010 film)
We Are Family is a Hindi film directed by Siddharth Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar. The project features actors Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles, and is an official remake of the 1998 film Stepmom. It released worldwide on September 3, 2010, and a day before in India...

Shreya Arora Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010 Golmaal 3
Golmaal 3
Golmaal 3 is a 2010 Bollywood comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty. A sequel to the 2008 film Golmaal Returns, the project stars most of the actors from the previous film, including Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. New additions to the cast include...

Daboo Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2011 Bodyguard Divya
2011 Ra.One
Ra.One
Ra.One is a 2011 Indian science fiction superhero film written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film features Shahrukh Khan in dual roles, and also stars Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma and Arjun Rampal in the lead...

Sonia Subramaniam
2012 Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Riana Braganza Releasing on February 10, 2012
2012 Agent Vinod Iram Post-production
2012 Talaash Sunaina Dixit Filming
2012 Heroine
Heroine (film)
Heroine is an upcoming Indian film co - written and directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. The film revolves around the life of a once successful film actress Mahi Khanna, whose career is on the decline...

Mahi Khanna Filming


See also

  • List of Indian film actresses
  • List of Punjabis
  • List of awards and nominations received by Kareena Kapoor

Further reading

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External links

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