Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Kareena Kapoor is firmly settled at the top of the Bollywood ladder of fame. After featuring opposite the three king Khans of the Hindi film industry - Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman - within the space of a year and a half, Kareena is now set to be the lead actor in the limelight with her new release, Heroine.
Madhur Bhandarkar's intriguing drama about a declining superstar is rumoured to take a no holds barred, insiders look at what really goes on behind the cameras. Talking about the movie, which will be released to coincide with Kapoor's 32nd birthday on September 21st, she says: “It's been an exhilarating experience and Madhur has pushed the envelope to bring out a strong performance from me.”
Earlier this year Kapoor showed off her exceptional acting ability in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (available on Sanona now) in which she played a quick witted hair stylist with a care free attitude to life. The film tells the story of two extreme individuals – Imran Khan as the uptight architect and Kapoor as the free spirited stylist – who accidentally end up getting married after a drunken night in Las Vegas.
After featuring in standard Bollywood heroine roles in Ra.One and Bodyguard, Kapoor's performance in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu gained her much appreciation as the film’s unconventional ending and strong character role brought out her fine acting skills, similar to her role in the super-hit Jab We Met.
There is no doubt that Kapoor has been recognised for her talent from the very beginning of her career with her first film Refugee, in which her remarkably mature performance won her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
Her film choices like Asoka, a part fictionalised account of the life of Indian emperor Ashoka The Great, and Chameli, in which she played a prostitute, in the early part of her career showed that Kapoor was looking to experiment with different genres and types of roles – a habit that she continued to develop and which led her to play some of the most unique female characters in Bollywood.
Kapoor also featured in a number of comedies including Priyadarshan's crazy caper Chup Chup Ke, and romantic films like Mujhse Dosti Karoge involving a love triangle between Hrithik Roshan, Rani Mukerji and her, as well as Main Aur Mrs Khanna which saw Kapoor team up with Salman Khan and his brother Sohail Khan.
Pushing the boundaries with less common subject matters, Kapoor played robust roles in films like Kurbaan, where she falls in love with an undercover terrorist (played by her soon-to-be husband and actor, Saif Ali Khan) and fights to stop him from succeeding in his destructive plan. Her role as a naïve young step mother in We Are Family alongside Kajol and Arjun Rampal also provided a fresh outlook on the difficulties of family relationships and divided loyalties.
With over 50 Hindi films to her name and a very successful career so far, everyone is on the lookout to see how Kapoor's work life will shape up post marriage. Will she disappear like many other actresses have done after tying the knot, including her own sister Karisma Kapoor, or will she carry on to give more super hit movies like her mother in law Sharmila Tagore did after marriage? Only time will tell.
Don't miss Kareena Kapoor in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu on Sanona this weekend.
Images courtesy UTV Motion Pictures