Kareena Kapoor

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Get to know Kareena Kapoor as you had never done before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She's the next new 'Kapoor' on the horizon. She has famous grandparents to boast of and equally popular parents, Randhir and Babita. She has Karisma, the hottest selling star in the industry right now, as her elder sister. She has nothing to worry about and everything to get worried about. There are a lot of expectations from her, but this does not dampen her spirits.

Kareena Kapoor was not destined to make her debut in the super hit film, Kaho Na Pyar Hai (KNPH). She was being groomed for this film, but Fate had other plans. Kareena made her much awaited debut with another hyped film, J P Dutta's Refugee, which failed to deliver the much required goods. People connected with the film desperately wanted the film to do well, but the lady in question here remains unruffled. She has nothing to fear.

What can go wrong for a natural actress like Kareena? She comes from the family of the great Prithvi Raj Kapoor who founded the first family of Indian cinema. He never knew that one day his name would be synonymous with talent and beauty and the family would be respected so much by the industry as well as non-film folk.

Her first film has not yet been released, but it seems she has already charmed her way to success. Many prominent filmmakers beat a path to her door to sign her up for their films. She has Subhash Ghai's Yaadein and Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum, both with the new hearthrob and adonis, Hrithik Roshan. Then there's another film of Abbas-Mastan's with Bobby Deol and Akshay Kumar. She is also doing Vashu Bhagnani's film with newcomer Tushar Kapoor, son of Jumping Jack, Jeetendra. This actress, who idolizes Kajol, is basking at the moment in her newfound glory.

The immensely talented actress has no regrets about Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas. It seems director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had earlier approached Kareena for these films which she could not accept. She wanted to study law in Harvard and had no plans to do anything in Bollywood. Boston looked far more interesting. Kareena was quite unsure even about Paro's role in Devdas, but then, as everyone says, destiny has peculiar ways.

Kareena would like to be known as an actress right from her first film. She is confident about her role in Refugee and is sure the film will do her a world of good. She does not wish to be paid to just stand in front of the camera and look good. This surely is ambitious thinking for a 20 something actress. But her genes speak for her.

In her debut film Refugee, she plays Nazneen, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with another refugee who does not have a country and does not belong to any community. She's coy and shy, quite unlike the off screen Kareena. As an actress, she claims to be totally different from sister Karishma. In fact, she is Lady Shah Rukh Khan. She wants everyone to love and praise her. Like him, she will collect dozens of awards, though she refuses to be content with the Best Debut Award. "Everyone gets that, I want something bigger," says she. Hopefully, destiny will support her.

Face to Face with Kareena Kapoor

Your director J P Dutta says you're a perfect natural before the camera. Do you think you are?

I don't fake anything on screen. When I signed Mr J P Dutta's film I knew exactly what I was getting into, though he didn't narrate the script to me. He never does. I knew I could prove myself as an actress in Refugee. I was more keen on proving my acting abilities before showing my expertise in dressing up glamorously and dancing around trees. I wanted to sock a power-packed performance to the audience. I wanted the film industry, the critics and audience to welcome an actress before warming up to the star. Stardom is something transitory. But to be known as a capable actress requires a lot of struggle. I'm very lucky to have got such an opportunity in my very first film. My role in Refugee is a very difficult one. The emotions I had to express weren't completely familiar to me. The adaas and the coyness are just not part of my nature. When people meet me for the first time they go, `Oh my God'

Unlike your sister Karisma you are quite an extrovert, aren't you?

Yes, that's me. So portraying a demure, quiet character in Refugee was quite difficult for me. Both Abhishek and I were allowed to be very spontaneous. Our director didn't brief us about what he wanted us to do until the take. Mr Dutta told us what to do only after the camera was switched on. It was very difficult but ultimately very satisfying. Abhishek and I, we did all our emotional sequences spontaneously. We didn't have to use glycerine even once. I have to say, whatever I know about acting I've learnt from Mr J P Dutta. I have told him I want to be in all his films, irrespective of the role. We all grew so attached to one another. I was weeping on the last day of Refugee. I just can't believe the film is over and ready for release. No matter how many films I do in my career I don't think I'll be able to forget Refugee

You were supposed to play the lead in `Kaho Na Pyar Hai'. Why did you opt out after a few days of shooting?

Nothing actually happened. There were certain things about which the director Mr Rakesh Roshan and I couldn't see eye to eye.I realised it was going to be Mr Rakesh Roshan making a film for his son. I didn't want any hard feelings when I took a professional decision to back out of Kaho Na Pyar Hai. But evidently there were such feelings from the other side. There was no fight between us. The media made it out to be some kind of a war.

You're already deep into other projects, aren't you?

Towards the fag-end of Refugee I started shooting for Abbas-Mustan's thriller Ajnabee with Akshay Kumar though I didn't sign any other film at that point of time. Then I also signed Subhash Ghai's Yaadein which we are going to start shooting in August