Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan honoured at FICCI Frames


Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been honoured at the Ficci Frames with an award for a Decade of acting excellence and global recognition.
In honor of Aishwarya's contribution to Indian cinema, FICCI created a special audio visual presentation of her journey through the decade including all her films. Her global recognition, appeal and her social commitments were also showcased to the audiences via this AV. “read more”And here is the rest of it


Read more...

Katrina kaif too in Hrithik roshan’s krrish 3


Bollywood actress Katrina kaif will feature in Hrithik roshan’s krrish 3.While priyanka chopra will reprise the role in the sequel film,Katrina has been added in the starcast.


Both priyanka and katrina will be seen together for the first time in Rakesh Roshan’s ‘Krrish-3.Hrithik roshan recommended katrina for the film.After shooting Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara with katrina,hrithik liked katrina’s work.He suggested that Kat be roped in to play a role in his home production krrish 3. “read more”And here is the rest of it


Read more...

Friday, April 9, 2010

Vidya Balan to play Silk Smitha

By Bollywood Hungama News Network

Vidya  Balan
Vidya Balan has time again managed to bag roles which any other actress would give her right hand for. Whether it was the sensual performance in Parineeta, or playing the bold and sexy woman in Ishqiya or playing mommy dearest to Amitabh Bachchan himself in Paa.

So when casting for a film based on a strong yet sensual woman is being done, it's hardly a surprise that Vidya Balan seems like an obvious choice. Sure enough then Ekta Kapoor's next film, that chronicles the life of the infamous actress Silk Smitha, is into pre- production, the lead is being discussed and the buzz is that it's Miss Balan herself who will play the dare all Silk Smitha in the film.

Unlike what seems to be the obvious, the film does not revolve around the sleazy image that this late actress got stuck with, instead it's about how the industries complexity, stress and the eventual loneliness that led to her death. Silk Smitha was a south siren, a cult figure that defied conventions and made it on her own, circumstances and alcohol drove her to what is believed to be a death by suicide.

Milan Luthria, who is currently making Once Upon A Time In Mumbai for Ekta's banner will be directing this film.

Vidya Balan however hasn't confirmed the news.

But one thing is for sure, if Vidya is the one who would be playing this part, the film is a winner already.


Read more...

Soha Ali Khan


Date of Birth : 04 Oct 1978
Place of Birth : New Delhi, India
Biography :
Soha Ali Khan (born as Soha Ali Khan Pataudi on 4 October 1978 in New Delhi, India) is an Indian actress. Khan was born into the of the Royal Family of Pataudi. Both her father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the current Nawab, and paternal grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, are former captains of the Indian cricket team.

Her mother, Sharmila Tagore, is a film actress and a distant relative of Bengali Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Her brother Saif Ali Khan is also a Bollywood actor and her sister Saba Ali Khan is a jewellery designer. She attended The British School in New Delhi.


Her mother, Sharmila Tagore, is a film actress and a distant relative of Bengali Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Her brother Saif Ali Khan is also a Bollywood actor and her sister Saba Ali Khan is a jewellery designer. She attended The British School in New Delhi.

Before embarking upon her film career, Soha worked for the Ford Foundation and Citibank. She is involved in a range of activities outside the acting world, including serving on the Advisory Board for a new project of the public entrepreneur group, Res Publica. She has also recently modeled for the spring-summer collection of Globus, an Indian chain of boutiques.

Soha made her acting debut with the Bollywood film Dil Maange More (2004), where she shared credits with Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia and Tulip Joshi. She has since received critical acclaim for her performances in the Bengali film Antar Mahal (2005) and Rang De Basanti (2006). Khoya Khoya Chand, earned her critical acclaim, although it was not successful at the box office. Her latest release 99 was a critical and commercial success and her performance was acclaimed. Her Latest release Tum Mile is running in theatres n receiving a positive review.

Soha also hosted a show called Godrej Khelo Jeeto Jiyo on Star Plus, in which where Soha Ali Khan takes the opportunity to ask some crisp questions to the contestants on the show and making them win lots of Goodies in return of the right answer.


Read more...

Monday, March 22, 2010

Dia Mirza


Date of Birth : 09 Dec 1981
Place of Birth : Hyderabad, India
Biography :
Dia Mirza, or Diya Mirza Handrich, nicknamed Dee, (born 9 December 1981) is a former Indian model and actress who appears in Bollywood films. She was second runner up at Femina Miss India 2000 and was subsequently sent to Miss Asia Pacific 2000 where she won.

Dia Mirza was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Her father, Frank Handrich, was a German interior designer from Munich and her mother is Deepa, a Bengali Indian. They separated when she was six years old. Her father died when she was nine and her mother remarried Ahmed Mirza who died in 2004. She adopted her stepfather's Muslim surname.

She stated that she suffered from "low self-esteem" and severe depression as a child. When living in Khairatabad, Hyderabad, she attended Vidyaranya High School For Boys And Girls, a school based on the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, and later Nasr School, in Kushnuma.

Dia wanted to complete her graduation in Arts by correspondence, but decided to postpone it as it was becoming difficult to juggle between the Miss Asia Pacific Competition, modeling assignments, traveling and training. She was assisted by Sabira Merchant on diction and etiquette; diet with Anjali Mukherjee; gymnasium and physical fitness with Talwalkars; clothes from Ritu Kumar and Hemant Trivedi; skin care with Dr. Jamuna Pai; and make-up and hair-care from Bharat and Doris Godambe. She is proficient in Telugu, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, English. She currently resides on Veronica Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai.

She made her cinematic debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein opposite R. Madhavan. The film was not a box office success. A series of unsuccessful films followed, among them Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Deewaanapan.

In 2005, Mirza appeared in Parineeta, a Vidhu Vinod Chopra production. She also played in the music video Kajara Mohabbat Wala alongside Sonu Nigam from the album Kajara Nite. The album contained multiple remixes, but was mainly advertised with the title song, sang by Sonu Nigam and Alisha Chinai.

She has also appeared in the movie Dus and in Fight Club. She will appear later this year in Familywala and Naa Naa Karte.Early in her career she was tagged as a look-alike of Aishwarya Rai.

Dia was the only female actor among the key 6 characters in the movie Acid Factory. She plays a femme fatale who is also a gangster, in the film.

Mirza's car was seized in 2006 for alleged evasion of custom duties. In that same year, she and fellow-actor Aamir Khan publicly expressed support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a group protesting the building of a dam. This aroused the ire of political activists from the Bharatiya Janata Party, who led a protest march against the actress.


Read more...

Celina Jaitley


Date of Birth : 24 Nov 1981
Place of Birth : Kabul, Afghanistan
Biography :
Celina Jaitley (born 24 November 1981) is an Indian actress and former beauty queen. She was crowned Femina Miss India Universe in 2001. Jaitley was born in Kabul, Afghanistan to a Punjabi Indian father and an Afghan mother. Her father, V.K. Jaitley, is a retired Indian Army colonel, and her mother, Meeta, an Afghan Hindu, was a nurse in the Indian army as well as an Afghan beauty queen. She has one brother who is serving the Indian army.

Celina grew up in several cities, including Lucknow, where she attended City Monetessori school. She also studied in Berhampur, Orissa when her father was posted there. She has spent most of her time in Kolkata, West Bengal. She is a Hindu by faith. She has said that when she was young, she wanted to join the army, either as a doctor or a pilot. She graduated with a degree in commerce from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Jaitley came in first place at Femina Miss India 2001 winning the title of Femina Miss India Universe 2001. In addition to her title, she won the Miss Margo Beautiful Skin, Indiatimes Surfer's Choice, and MTV's Most Wanted award. She was subsequently sent to the Miss Universe 2001 contest to represent India where she was a finalist and finished in fifth place.

In 2003, she made her film debut in Feroz Khan's Janasheen. In 2007 Jaitley flew to New Zealand and shot her first international movie Love Has No Language, a romantic comedy. Whilst there she was targeted by a stalker who had followed her from India. Jaitley was said to be traumatized by the experience.

Jaitley is slated to play the character of a Persian princess in the film Quest of Scheherezade along with actors Sean Connery and Orlando Bloom. The film is based on Arabian Nights and will be directed by Ken Khan. This will be Celina's first venture into Hollywood. She is also the brand ambassador of Egyptian tourism and D'damas. Jaitley is also a supporter of the rights and equality of the LGBT community and supports the gay rights movement in India.


Read more...

Bipasha Basu


Date of Birth : 07 Jan 1979
Place of Birth : Delhi, India
Biography :
Bipasha Basu (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films and a former model. She was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest for 1996 and is currently one of the mainstream actresses in Bollywood. Basu was born in New Delhi, India, to a Bengali family. She is the second of three daughters to her parents, the elder being Bidisha, and the younger—Vijayeta. Although she was born in New Delhi, her family later moved to Kolkata.

According to her, she had come into modeling and acting quite by accident, because initially she had planned to study medicine. Basu studied science till the 12th standard at Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir and later took up commerce at The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta. In Kolkata, she did modelling and rampshows partime. Although, as pointed above, she intended to become a doctor, her aversion for dissections made her opt for chartered accountancy. However, in 1996, she met well-known model Mehr Jessia in Kolkata; the latter suggested that Basu take part in the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest. She eventually participated, and won the contest.

Basu is currently dating actor John Abraham. The couple have been together since late 2002 and have been referred to as a supercouple in the Indian media. She previously dated fellow Bollywood actor Dino Morea.

In 2006, Basu claimed to have been harassed by certain organizers of the India Day Parade in Edison, New Jersey. Basu was initially scheduled to lead the parade on 13 August 2006. Basu eventually appeared on stage late, according to her, because of the harassment. She said, "I wanted to attend the parade, but I could not." She explained that she was harassed physically and mentally in the car by two people who were taking her to the parade. In 2005 and 2007, UK magazine Eastern Eye named Basu the "Sexiest Woman in Asia".

After winning the Ford Godrej Cinthol contest, Basu was flown to New York by the Ford Company, where she had a successful modelling career at the age of 17.

Basu made her film debut in Abbas Mustan's Ajnabee, with Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor. She played a married woman who goes all out to woo her husband’s married friend, and eventually won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance.

In 2002, Basu starred in Telugu movie Takkari Donga opposite Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu and Vikram Bhatt's thriller Raaz. Raaz was a big commercial success and surfaced as the biggest hit of that year. For her performance in the film, she received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. One review in The Tribune noted, "...it is Bipasha Basu who steals the show with her fine performance." She appeared as Sonia Khanna in the 2003 hit movie Jism alongside John Abraham. The movie earned her a Filmfare Best Villain Award nomination.

Besides acting, Bips, as she is fondly called, did the famous video "Tu" for Sonu Nigam's album, Kismat back in her early days before she became an actress. She also made a guest appearance in Jay Sean's music video Stolen.

In 2006, she won popular acclaim for her performance in an Item number during the song Beedi in the film Omkara. The song was a national hit, and Basu's picturisation was appreciated.

In 2008 Basu starred in Race, her second collaboration with duo Abbas Mustan, with whom she debuted in Bollywood. Co-starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the film performed well at the box office, and Basu's performance was appreciated by critics. Taran Adarsh of indiaFM described her performance as "her best work so far. She’s superb". She also received good reviews for her role in Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor. She completed the year by appearing in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in the song Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte. In 2009, Bipasha was rumored to sign onto her first Hollywood venture Chaimera alongside Billy Zane.


Read more...

Priyanka Chopra


Date of Birth : 18 Jul 1982
Place of Birth : Jamshedpur, India
Biography :
Priyanka Chopra (born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000.

Chopra made her acting debut with the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan. The following year, she made her Hindi film debut with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy and followed it with the hit Andaaz, for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. In 2004 she became the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award, which she received for her critically acclaimed performance in Aitraaz. Chopra would later have commercial success with films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Krrish (2006) and Don - The Chase Begins Again. Chopra earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her portrayal of a model in Fashion (2008) and has thus established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in Bollywood.

Chopra was born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand to Ashok Chopra and Madhu Akhauri, both doctors by profession. Chopra spent her childhood in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Newton, Massachusetts; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her father was in the army and thus her family moved quite frequently. Her father hailed from a family of Punjabi Khatri origin, settled in Bareilly and her mother comes from a Bihari Kayastha family settled in Jamshedpur. She also has a brother, Siddharth, who is seven years younger than she is.

Chopra studied at La Martiniere Girls' School in Lucknow as a young girl. These frequent re-locations took place as Ashok was a doctor in the Indian Army. She subsequently re-located to the U.S. where she studied in Newton South High School in Newton, Massachusetts and then in John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She returned to India and did her high school at Army School in Bareilly. She began college at Jai Hind College in Mumbai but left after winning the Miss World pageant.

Chopra came in second place at Femina Miss India 2000 competition winning the Femina Miss India World title and subsequently being sent to Miss World where she was crowned Miss World 2000. In the same year, Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza, both also from India, won the Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific crowns, in a rare triple victory for one country.

When Chopra won the Miss World crown, she became the fifth Indian woman to win the title, and the fourth Indian woman to win in a span of seven years.

On December 12, 2009, Chopra was present as a judge for the Miss World 2009 competition held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Chopra made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan playing the role of Priya, the love interest of the protaginist in the film played by Vijay. In 2003, she appeared in her first Bollywood film, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy directed by Anil Sharma, in a supporting role as a doctor named Shaheen. Despite being one of the highest grossing films of that year, the film was given a below average status. Later that year she appeared in Raj Kanwar's Andaaz opposite Akshay Kumar. The film turned out to be a box office success, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.

Her next few films released in 2004 like Plan, Kismat and Asambhav performed poorly at the box office. Later that year she appeared in David Dhawan's romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi playing the role of a young fashion designer Rani along with Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, the film turned out to be the third highest grossing film of that year. She next starred in Aitraaz, a Hindi remake of Disclosure. It was her first negative role. Her performance won critical acclaim and earned a Filmfare Best Villain Award. She also received a second nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the role. In the same year, she participated in a world tour titled Temptations 2004 with other Bollywood actors, including Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and Arjun Rampal.

In 2005, several of her films were released, all of which did not do well at the box office. In 2006, Chopra starred in two of the most successful films of the year - Krrish and Don - The Chase Begins Again. Nikhil Advani's ensemble piece, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love was Chopra's first release in 2007. The movie failed to do well at the box office. Chopra's next release, Big Brother also underperformed.

In 2008, Chopra featured in six films. Her first four films, Love Story 2050, God Tussi Great Ho, Chamku and Drona, failed to do well. Chopra's fifth release of the year, Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion was a critical success. The film revolved around the fashion world and Chopra's role was that of an ambitious model. Her performance in the film was appreciated and earned her several awards for Best Actress including the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Chopra's final release of the year was Tarun Mansukhani's romantic comedy Dostana. The film was a moderate financial success.

In 2009 she appeared in Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminey alongside Shahid Kapoor playing a marathi girl named Sweety. Her performance in the film was described by critic Taran Adarsh: "Priyanka is first-rate. She's so much in sync with her character. Also, she gets the Maharashtrian accent perfect". She has appeared in Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee? and Jugal Hansraj's Pyaar Impossible. She has also signed Sanjay Gupta's Chamki Chameli.


Read more...

Kareena Kapoor

Date of Birth : 21 Sep 1980
Date of Birth : 21 Sep 1980
Place of Birth : Bombay, India
Biography :
Kareena Kapoor (born on 21 September 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. Born into a film family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. However, she did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee, which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham became India's highest grossing film in the overseas market in 2001 and is her biggest commercial success to date.

After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles between 2002 and 2003, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast. Consequently, from 2004 to 2006 she was recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. She later received two Critics Awards for Best Actress at the Filmfare ceremony for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy film, Jab We Met. Although the box office earnings of her films have varied considerably, Kapoor has established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Hindi film industry. Kapoor's off-screen life is subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her and boyfriend, actor Saif Ali Khan and speculation of a possible marriage.

Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra into the Kapoor film family of Punjabi Khatri origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. She is also often informally referred to as Bebo.

As children, the Kapoor sisters dreamed of becoming actresses. Kapoor was particularly inspired by actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari. However, despite her family background, her father disapproved of women acting because he believed it to be incompatible with their duty to the family. This led to conflict between her parents, and Kapoor's mother ultimately left her father. Kapoor was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. She studied commerce for two years at the Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai. However, she disliked her term there and studied only because she was close to her family. Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States. She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate. However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor returned to her initial plan to become an actress and began training at the Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute in Andheri.

In 2004, Kapoor began dating actor Shahid Kapoor whom she eventually parted with during the filming of Jab We Met in 2007. In September 2007, speculation began to surface that she was dating Saif Ali Khan. On 18 October 2007, during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media.

Kapoor is very close to her family and has resided with her mother Babita for much of her life. Kapoor and her mother lived together in Lokhandwala and then at Park Avenue in Bandra, Mumbai for several years, and in 2008 Kapoor and her mother purchased adjacent flats in Khar, Mumbai designed by Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna. Kapoor says she is an avid reader and swimmer in her leisure time.

Kapoor's weight and diet have often been scrutinized by the media. In 2006, Kapoor declared that she was becoming a vegetarian to keep her weight in check.[80] Kapoor has denied rumours that she is suffering from anorexia and has attributed her weight loss to yoga and a closely-monitored, balanced diet. When Kapoor lost weight and collapsed on set during the filming of Tashan in 2008, media speculation about her health was rampant. She dismissed the incident as a minor health scare.

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000. As a child, Kapoor attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming.[78] In previous years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor had developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press with few reservations.

During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst two years later she appeared along with Shahid Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. The following year, she appeared as a guest judge along with Priyanka Chopra on the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2. Several months later, Kapoor was chosen alongside actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar to model and walk the ramp for designer Manish Malhotra's fashion display, titled Freedom, during Fashion Week 2006. In 2007, Kapoor was among several Bollywood celebrities to perform at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh. In June 2008, Kapoor modelled once again for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.

Kapoor annually features in many polls in the media. In 2004, she was ranked third on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. In February 2007, Kapoor appeared fourth on Indiatimes list of "Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood", and later that year, the actress was ranked eighth by the U.K. magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women". Kapoor has also won numerous vegetarian online polls, being declared the female winner of PETA India's "Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities" successively in 2007 and 2008. In March 2009, she became the only woman to be featured on Filmfare Magazine's annual "Power List", a list of the ten most powerful people of Bollywood.

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes to participating in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world tour, the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and Canada and went on to become a success. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, whilst 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. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team.

In 2006, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of five million rupees from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Rs. 5,000,000 (US$ 103,000) winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home, Bandra. In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Rs. 1,000,000 (US$ 20,600) from 10 Ka Dum to St. Anthony's Old Age Home.

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan. However, several days into the filming, 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."

Kapoor made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man known simply as "Refugee" (portrayed by debutant Abhishek Bachchan). He illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Refugee while illegally migrating to Pakistan. Her debut performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of indiaFM wrote: "Kareena 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's no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." Refugee was the fifth-highest grossing film in India in 2000, and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.

Kapoor's first role in 2001 was in the romantic drama Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, which became one of the highest earners of the year.[22] A review in The Hindu noted that, "Kareena is 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's family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff 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. Upon release, the film met with mixed critical reaction and garnered poor box office returns. Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan thriller Ajnabee. The film, based on Consenting Adults (1992), was a moderate box office success in India.

Later in the year, she starred in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. The film had a strong release in the United Kingdom and North America. It was also screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's performance received a mixed reaction from some critics. Rediff.com 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". Nonetheless, her performance was praised by some critics and earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.

Kapoor's final release of 2001 was the drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, directed by Karan Johar. The film, which featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and Kapoor's biggest commercial success, with a domestic total of Rs 490 million (US$ 10.09 million). It also performed well internationally and became India's second biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over Rs 350 million (US$ 7.21 million). Her performance as "Poo" was well-received by critics and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a slump in her career. She featured in six films — Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, Talaash: The Hunt Begins..., Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, and the four-hour war epic LOC Kargil — all of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India.[30][31] Kapoor's performances were often identified by many critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. They expressed concern that she was becoming typecast but these negative reviews were fundamental in motivating her to improve her integrity as an actress in subsequent years by accepting more demanding roles.

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, Kapoor played a prostitute in Chameli opposite Rahul Bose. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. Chameli received predominantly positive reviews and Kapoor's performance was generally well-received by critics, with the Indiatimes praising Kapoor's "intuitive brilliance" and stating that she had exceeded all expectations. However, another reviewer 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. Nonetheless, Kapoor's performance garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award and marked a change in direction in her career as an actress.

Kapoor then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, 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 Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case. The film earned her a 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 in the thriller Fida (opposite Shahid Kapoor and Fardeen Khan). The film explores Internet theft and the Mumbai underworld. Although it failed commercially, Kapoor received 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 moderately successful thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.

In 2005, she starred in the Dharmesh Darshan directed drama Bewafaa. Kapoor played the role of the Indo-Canadian Anjali, who marries her sister's husband after her death, but is unsatisfied with the ensuing married life and resumes a relationship with her previous boyfriend. The film received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received.[42] 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 girl of her age.

Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki. The drama, set in a psychiatric hospital, relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure, though Kapoor's performance was generally well-received by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting." Kapoor then featured in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, and Lara Dutta. While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.

In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was well-received by critics and Kapoor's performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com concluded, "Her character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers." 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.

In 2007, Kapoor starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy Jab We Met. Relating the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love, Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, earning a domestic total of Rs 303 million (US$ 6.24 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including a Filmfare Best Actress Award and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand 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."

Following Jab We Met, Kapoor featured alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Anil Kapoor in the action-thriller Tashan (2008). Though an indiaFM poll named it the most anticipated film of the year, Tashan eventually became a commercial and critical failure. Kapoor next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for her role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor was criticised for failing to promote the film as she ventured into other projects.

Kapoor next starred in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora, Celina Jaitley, and Anjana Sukhani, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received a mixed reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express 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 over Rs 500 million (US$ 10.3 million) domestically.

In 2009, Kapoor appeared in Sabbir Khan's romantic drama Kambakkht Ishq alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, which explores the relationship between two different individuals, became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. Kapoor portrayed the character of Simrita Rai, a part-time supermodel and an aspiring surgeon. Upon release, the film met with negative reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received. The Times of India described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon." The film was an economic success nonetheless, earning over Rs 650 million (US$ 13.39 million) worldwide.

As of August 2009, Kapoor has completed filming for Prem Soni's drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna in which she is to star alongside Salman Khan. She was also cast as the lead in Rajkumar Hirani's Three Idiots, which began principal photography in July 2008.
Place of Birth : Bombay, India
Date of Birth : 21 Sep 1980
Place of Birth : Bombay, India
Biography :
Kareena Kapoor (born on 21 September 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. Born into a film family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. However, she did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee, which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham became India's highest grossing film in the overseas market in 2001 and is her biggest commercial success to date.

After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles between 2002 and 2003, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast. Consequently, from 2004 to 2006 she was recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. She later received two Critics Awards for Best Actress at the Filmfare ceremony for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy film, Jab We Met. Although the box office earnings of her films have varied considerably, Kapoor has established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Hindi film industry. Kapoor's off-screen life is subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her and boyfriend, actor Saif Ali Khan and speculation of a possible marriage.

Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra into the Kapoor film family of Punjabi Khatri origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. She is also often informally referred to as Bebo.

As children, the Kapoor sisters dreamed of becoming actresses. Kapoor was particularly inspired by actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari. However, despite her family background, her father disapproved of women acting because he believed it to be incompatible with their duty to the family. This led to conflict between her parents, and Kapoor's mother ultimately left her father. Kapoor was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. She studied commerce for two years at the Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai. However, she disliked her term there and studied only because she was close to her family. Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States. She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate. However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor returned to her initial plan to become an actress and began training at the Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute in Andheri.

In 2004, Kapoor began dating actor Shahid Kapoor whom she eventually parted with during the filming of Jab We Met in 2007. In September 2007, speculation began to surface that she was dating Saif Ali Khan. On 18 October 2007, during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media.

Kapoor is very close to her family and has resided with her mother Babita for much of her life. Kapoor and her mother lived together in Lokhandwala and then at Park Avenue in Bandra, Mumbai for several years, and in 2008 Kapoor and her mother purchased adjacent flats in Khar, Mumbai designed by Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna. Kapoor says she is an avid reader and swimmer in her leisure time.

Kapoor's weight and diet have often been scrutinized by the media. In 2006, Kapoor declared that she was becoming a vegetarian to keep her weight in check.[80] Kapoor has denied rumours that she is suffering from anorexia and has attributed her weight loss to yoga and a closely-monitored, balanced diet. When Kapoor lost weight and collapsed on set during the filming of Tashan in 2008, media speculation about her health was rampant. She dismissed the incident as a minor health scare.

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000. As a child, Kapoor attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming.[78] In previous years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor had developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press with few reservations.

During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst two years later she appeared along with Shahid Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. The following year, she appeared as a guest judge along with Priyanka Chopra on the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2. Several months later, Kapoor was chosen alongside actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar to model and walk the ramp for designer Manish Malhotra's fashion display, titled Freedom, during Fashion Week 2006. In 2007, Kapoor was among several Bollywood celebrities to perform at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh. In June 2008, Kapoor modelled once again for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.

Kapoor annually features in many polls in the media. In 2004, she was ranked third on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. In February 2007, Kapoor appeared fourth on Indiatimes list of "Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood", and later that year, the actress was ranked eighth by the U.K. magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women". Kapoor has also won numerous vegetarian online polls, being declared the female winner of PETA India's "Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities" successively in 2007 and 2008. In March 2009, she became the only woman to be featured on Filmfare Magazine's annual "Power List", a list of the ten most powerful people of Bollywood.

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes to participating in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world tour, the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and Canada and went on to become a success. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, whilst 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. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team.

In 2006, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of five million rupees from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Rs. 5,000,000 (US$ 103,000) winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home, Bandra. In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Rs. 1,000,000 (US$ 20,600) from 10 Ka Dum to St. Anthony's Old Age Home.

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan. However, several days into the filming, 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."

Kapoor made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man known simply as "Refugee" (portrayed by debutant Abhishek Bachchan). He illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Refugee while illegally migrating to Pakistan. Her debut performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of indiaFM wrote: "Kareena 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's no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." Refugee was the fifth-highest grossing film in India in 2000, and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.

Kapoor's first role in 2001 was in the romantic drama Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, which became one of the highest earners of the year.[22] A review in The Hindu noted that, "Kareena is 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's family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff 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. Upon release, the film met with mixed critical reaction and garnered poor box office returns. Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan thriller Ajnabee. The film, based on Consenting Adults (1992), was a moderate box office success in India.

Later in the year, she starred in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. The film had a strong release in the United Kingdom and North America. It was also screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's performance received a mixed reaction from some critics. Rediff.com 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". Nonetheless, her performance was praised by some critics and earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.

Kapoor's final release of 2001 was the drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, directed by Karan Johar. The film, which featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and Kapoor's biggest commercial success, with a domestic total of Rs 490 million (US$ 10.09 million). It also performed well internationally and became India's second biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over Rs 350 million (US$ 7.21 million). Her performance as "Poo" was well-received by critics and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a slump in her career. She featured in six films — Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, Talaash: The Hunt Begins..., Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, and the four-hour war epic LOC Kargil — all of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India.[30][31] Kapoor's performances were often identified by many critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. They expressed concern that she was becoming typecast but these negative reviews were fundamental in motivating her to improve her integrity as an actress in subsequent years by accepting more demanding roles.

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, Kapoor played a prostitute in Chameli opposite Rahul Bose. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. Chameli received predominantly positive reviews and Kapoor's performance was generally well-received by critics, with the Indiatimes praising Kapoor's "intuitive brilliance" and stating that she had exceeded all expectations. However, another reviewer 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. Nonetheless, Kapoor's performance garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award and marked a change in direction in her career as an actress.

Kapoor then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, 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 Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case. The film earned her a 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 in the thriller Fida (opposite Shahid Kapoor and Fardeen Khan). The film explores Internet theft and the Mumbai underworld. Although it failed commercially, Kapoor received 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 moderately successful thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.

In 2005, she starred in the Dharmesh Darshan directed drama Bewafaa. Kapoor played the role of the Indo-Canadian Anjali, who marries her sister's husband after her death, but is unsatisfied with the ensuing married life and resumes a relationship with her previous boyfriend. The film received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received.[42] 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 girl of her age.

Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki. The drama, set in a psychiatric hospital, relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure, though Kapoor's performance was generally well-received by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting." Kapoor then featured in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, and Lara Dutta. While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.

In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was well-received by critics and Kapoor's performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com concluded, "Her character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers." 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.

In 2007, Kapoor starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy Jab We Met. Relating the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love, Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, earning a domestic total of Rs 303 million (US$ 6.24 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including a Filmfare Best Actress Award and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand 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."

Following Jab We Met, Kapoor featured alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Anil Kapoor in the action-thriller Tashan (2008). Though an indiaFM poll named it the most anticipated film of the year, Tashan eventually became a commercial and critical failure. Kapoor next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for her role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor was criticised for failing to promote the film as she ventured into other projects.

Kapoor next starred in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora, Celina Jaitley, and Anjana Sukhani, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received a mixed reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express 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 over Rs 500 million (US$ 10.3 million) domestically.

In 2009, Kapoor appeared in Sabbir Khan's romantic drama Kambakkht Ishq alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, which explores the relationship between two different individuals, became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. Kapoor portrayed the character of Simrita Rai, a part-time supermodel and an aspiring surgeon. Upon release, the film met with negative reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received. The Times of India described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon." The film was an economic success nonetheless, earning over Rs 650 million (US$ 13.39 million) worldwide.

As of August 2009, Kapoor has completed filming for Prem Soni's drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna in which she is to star alongside Salman Khan. She was also cast as the lead in Rajkumar Hirani's Three Idiots, which began principal photography in July 2008.
Biography :
Kareena Kapoor (born on 21 September 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. Born into a film family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. However, she did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee, which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham became India's highest grossing film in the overseas market in 2001 and is her biggest commercial success to date.

After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles between 2002 and 2003, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast. Consequently, from 2004 to 2006 she was recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. She later received two Critics Awards for Best Actress at the Filmfare ceremony for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy film, Jab We Met. Although the box office earnings of her films have varied considerably, Kapoor has established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Hindi film industry. Kapoor's off-screen life is subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her and boyfriend, actor Saif Ali Khan and speculation of a possible marriage.

Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra into the Kapoor film family of Punjabi Khatri origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. She is also often informally referred to as Bebo.

As children, the Kapoor sisters dreamed of becoming actresses. Kapoor was particularly inspired by actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari. However, despite her family background, her father disapproved of women acting because he believed it to be incompatible with their duty to the family. This led to conflict between her parents, and Kapoor's mother ultimately left her father. Kapoor was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. She studied commerce for two years at the Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai. However, she disliked her term there and studied only because she was close to her family. Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States. She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate. However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor returned to her initial plan to become an actress and began training at the Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute in Andheri.

In 2004, Kapoor began dating actor Shahid Kapoor whom she eventually parted with during the filming of Jab We Met in 2007. In September 2007, speculation began to surface that she was dating Saif Ali Khan. On 18 October 2007, during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media.

Kapoor is very close to her family and has resided with her mother Babita for much of her life. Kapoor and her mother lived together in Lokhandwala and then at Park Avenue in Bandra, Mumbai for several years, and in 2008 Kapoor and her mother purchased adjacent flats in Khar, Mumbai designed by Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna. Kapoor says she is an avid reader and swimmer in her leisure time.

Kapoor's weight and diet have often been scrutinized by the media. In 2006, Kapoor declared that she was becoming a vegetarian to keep her weight in check.[80] Kapoor has denied rumours that she is suffering from anorexia and has attributed her weight loss to yoga and a closely-monitored, balanced diet. When Kapoor lost weight and collapsed on set during the filming of Tashan in 2008, media speculation about her health was rampant. She dismissed the incident as a minor health scare.

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000. As a child, Kapoor attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming.[78] In previous years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor had developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press with few reservations.

During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst two years later she appeared along with Shahid Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. The following year, she appeared as a guest judge along with Priyanka Chopra on the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2. Several months later, Kapoor was chosen alongside actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar to model and walk the ramp for designer Manish Malhotra's fashion display, titled Freedom, during Fashion Week 2006. In 2007, Kapoor was among several Bollywood celebrities to perform at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh. In June 2008, Kapoor modelled once again for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.

Kapoor annually features in many polls in the media. In 2004, she was ranked third on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. In February 2007, Kapoor appeared fourth on Indiatimes list of "Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood", and later that year, the actress was ranked eighth by the U.K. magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women". Kapoor has also won numerous vegetarian online polls, being declared the female winner of PETA India's "Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities" successively in 2007 and 2008. In March 2009, she became the only woman to be featured on Filmfare Magazine's annual "Power List", a list of the ten most powerful people of Bollywood.

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes to participating in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world tour, the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and Canada and went on to become a success. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, whilst 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. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team.

In 2006, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of five million rupees from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Rs. 5,000,000 (US$ 103,000) winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home, Bandra. In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Rs. 1,000,000 (US$ 20,600) from 10 Ka Dum to St. Anthony's Old Age Home.

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan. However, several days into the filming, 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."

Kapoor made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man known simply as "Refugee" (portrayed by debutant Abhishek Bachchan). He illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Refugee while illegally migrating to Pakistan. Her debut performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of indiaFM wrote: "Kareena 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's no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." Refugee was the fifth-highest grossing film in India in 2000, and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.

Kapoor's first role in 2001 was in the romantic drama Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, which became one of the highest earners of the year.[22] A review in The Hindu noted that, "Kareena is 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's family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff 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. Upon release, the film met with mixed critical reaction and garnered poor box office returns. Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan thriller Ajnabee. The film, based on Consenting Adults (1992), was a moderate box office success in India.

Later in the year, she starred in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. The film had a strong release in the United Kingdom and North America. It was also screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's performance received a mixed reaction from some critics. Rediff.com 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". Nonetheless, her performance was praised by some critics and earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.

Kapoor's final release of 2001 was the drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, directed by Karan Johar. The film, which featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and Kapoor's biggest commercial success, with a domestic total of Rs 490 million (US$ 10.09 million). It also performed well internationally and became India's second biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over Rs 350 million (US$ 7.21 million). Her performance as "Poo" was well-received by critics and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a slump in her career. She featured in six films — Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, Talaash: The Hunt Begins..., Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, and the four-hour war epic LOC Kargil — all of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India.[30][31] Kapoor's performances were often identified by many critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. They expressed concern that she was becoming typecast but these negative reviews were fundamental in motivating her to improve her integrity as an actress in subsequent years by accepting more demanding roles.

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, Kapoor played a prostitute in Chameli opposite Rahul Bose. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. Chameli received predominantly positive reviews and Kapoor's performance was generally well-received by critics, with the Indiatimes praising Kapoor's "intuitive brilliance" and stating that she had exceeded all expectations. However, another reviewer 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. Nonetheless, Kapoor's performance garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award and marked a change in direction in her career as an actress.

Kapoor then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, 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 Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case. The film earned her a 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 in the thriller Fida (opposite Shahid Kapoor and Fardeen Khan). The film explores Internet theft and the Mumbai underworld. Although it failed commercially, Kapoor received 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 moderately successful thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.

In 2005, she starred in the Dharmesh Darshan directed drama Bewafaa. Kapoor played the role of the Indo-Canadian Anjali, who marries her sister's husband after her death, but is unsatisfied with the ensuing married life and resumes a relationship with her previous boyfriend. The film received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received.[42] 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 girl of her age.

Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki. The drama, set in a psychiatric hospital, relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure, though Kapoor's performance was generally well-received by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting." Kapoor then featured in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, and Lara Dutta. While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.

In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was well-received by critics and Kapoor's performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com concluded, "Her character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers." 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.

In 2007, Kapoor starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy Jab We Met. Relating the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love, Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, earning a domestic total of Rs 303 million (US$ 6.24 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including a Filmfare Best Actress Award and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand 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."

Following Jab We Met, Kapoor featured alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Anil Kapoor in the action-thriller Tashan (2008). Though an indiaFM poll named it the most anticipated film of the year, Tashan eventually became a commercial and critical failure. Kapoor next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for her role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor was criticised for failing to promote the film as she ventured into other projects.

Kapoor next starred in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora, Celina Jaitley, and Anjana Sukhani, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received a mixed reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express 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 over Rs 500 million (US$ 10.3 million) domestically.

In 2009, Kapoor appeared in Sabbir Khan's romantic drama Kambakkht Ishq alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, which explores the relationship between two different individuals, became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. Kapoor portrayed the character of Simrita Rai, a part-time supermodel and an aspiring surgeon. Upon release, the film met with negative reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received. The Times of India described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon." The film was an economic success nonetheless, earning over Rs 650 million (US$ 13.39 million) worldwide.

As of August 2009, Kapoor has completed filming for Prem Soni's drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna in which she is to star alongside Salman Khan. She was also cast as the lead in Rajkumar Hirani's Three Idiots, which began principal photography in July 2008.


Read more...