Kareena Kapoor - Biography

Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor

Biography

• Born on 21st September, 1980, in an iconic family which has given the country few of its best actors and actresses.
• According to Kareena Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her.
• Kareena Kapoor is of Punjabi descent on her father's side, and on her mother's side she is Sindhi.
• Kareena Kapoor is the second daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita. Her dad, Randhir is very protective towards his daughters and wanted both of them to keep away from acting, get married, and settle down, as per the Kapoor family tradition. This led to irreconcilable differences between her parents, ultimately leading to a divorce, with both sisters leaving their dad to live with their mom.
• Her elder sister, Karisma Kapoor is also an actress, daughter of Randhir Kapoor, Granddaughter of Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor and great-great-granddaughter of Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor.
• Both the girls have broken the taboo of Kapoor family girls acting in movies.
• As a child Kareena Kapoor had strong aspirations to become an actress, and was particularly inspired by the films of Bollywood actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.
• Kareena Kapoor, who describes herself as a "very naughty and spoil child", would regularly dress up in her mother's clothes and perform in front of the mirror.
• Kareena Kapoor is the fourth generation of the legendary Kapoor family who has been in the film industry for the last 50 years. Her paternal great-grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor; her grandfather, Raj Kapoor; her paternal uncles, Shammi, Shashi, Rishi, and Rajiv; as well as aunt, Neetu Singh, & Jennifer Kendall, the wives of Rishi and Shashi respectively. On her maternal side, her grandfather, Hari Shivdasani, and aunt, Sadhana, have been actors in their own rights.
• Kareena is popularly known by her nickname ‘Bebo’.
• At school time she studied in Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu, Bombay, and thereafter was enrolled in Dehra Dun's prestigious Welham Girls' Boarding School. According to Kareena Kapoor, she was a good student and received first-class honors in all subjects except mathematics. Then she re-located to Harvard for approximately 3 months to take a course in Information Technology and Microcomputers. After graduating from Welham she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College in Vile Parle (Mumbai), but later confessed that she only studied there because it was close to her family. She later developed an interest in law, and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate; during this period, she became immersed in law books and developed a long-lasting passion for reading. However, after completing one year at Churchgate Kareena Kapoor decided to return to her initial plan to become an actress she enroll in the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting School where she began training there, which was an acting institute in Andheri mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
• Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering the acting profession because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family. This led to a conflict between her parents, and resulted in Kareena's mother leaving with her daughters.
• After her parents' separation she was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother, who worked at several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.
• Kareena Kapoor received a hand up in show business thanks to the doings of her sister Karisma Kapoor.
• Did not attend her cousin Riddhima Kapoor's wedding with Bharat Sawhney that took place in Bombay on Wednesday January 25, 2006 alongwith her sister Karisma, and mom, Babita.
• Following her parents' reconciliation in October 2007, Kareena explained that they "were never officially divorced but lived separately."
• Kareena Kapoor is very close to her family and has resided with her mother Babita for much of her life. Kareena Kapoor and her mother lived together in Lokhandwala and then at Park Avenue in Bandra, Mumbai for several years, and in 2008 Kareena Kapoor and her mother purchased adjacent flats in Khar, Mumbai designed by Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna.
• Asked about her relationship with her father, Kareena remarked "My father is an important factor in my life. Although we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now".
• She is best friend with fellow actress Amrita Arora.
• She befriended Konkona Sen Sharma on the sets of 2006 movie "Omkara".
• Good friends with actress Esha Deol.
• Was in a long term relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor until 2007. They broke up during the filming of hit movie "Jab We Met".
• She has lived secretly with Saif Ali Khan. At the Lakme Fashion Awards in October 2007 they made their liaison official.
• During her years in the film industry, Kareena has been involved with humanitarian causes.
• November 2003 - She performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit.
• 2005 - She and other Bollywood stars participated in the HELP! Telethon Concert to raise money for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost morale of jawan (infantry) troops in a special Holi weekend episode of the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The program consists of entertainers who visit Indian troops in isolated regions (with an NDTV crew).
• During her 2010 appearance in the NDTV Greenathon, Kareena adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide it with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness of the need for a greener environmental future.
• Several months later Kareena Kapoor participated in UNESCO and FIFA's international campaign, 1GOAL Education for All.
• The project consisted of a group of individuals raising public awareness and involvement in education for children.
• On joining the project, she said "Education is a way to emancipation. It is not just freedom from poverty but also from hopelessness. Countries in Southeast Asia have a high level of poverty and we should do something to help erase this. I would like to contribute in some way or other to help spread this awareness".
• March 2011 - Kareena Kapoor was appointed ambassador for the Shakti Campaign, a project launched by the NDTV television network to combat violence against women in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of  International Women's Day.
• Kareena Kapoor has denied rumors that she is suffering from anorexia and has attributed her weight loss to yoga and a closely-monitored, balanced diet. When Kareena 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.
• Following the release of Heroine, she is in relationship with Saif Ali Khan for last four years. 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. The lovebirds called as Saifeena in the B-town. Kareena Kapoor married Saif Ali Khan on 16 October 2012. Raghuvendra Rathore designed the achkan for Saif Ali Khan while designer Ritu Kumar designed the traditional sharara for Kareena.
• Described as "India's wedding and social event of the year". It consisted of a five-day celebration period beginning with a pre-wedding bash at Kareena's residence followed by a registered marriage in the presence of family and close friends. While the registry was done at the Bandra residence of the actor, the Nikah was held at the traditional Pataudi home in Haryana. A reception was later held at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Mumbai and the Lutyens Bungalow Zone in Delhi. This included sister-of-the-bride Karishma Kapoor, Amrita Arora, Neetu Singh, Sonam Kapoor, Gauri Khan, Alvira Agnihotri, Preity Zinta and Shweta Nanda.
• Has a mannequin of herself in Madame Tussaud's Museum in England. Along with Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan.
• January 2013 - Kareena Kapoor Released her first literary autobiographical piece 'The Style Diary of A Bollywood Diva'. The idea was inspired by Shoba De, well known Bollwood Socialite, Indian Author and previous editor of Stardust Magazine. Kareena Kapoor, penned the book with help from co-author Rochelle Pinto, and the book speaks about her various fashion inspirations, and gives interesting tips on style, diet and fitness. The book, published by Penguin India, also speaks about her relationship with husband Saif Ali Khan.
• Kareena Kapoor attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor from her childhood, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming. 
• In previous years, in response to media speculation, Kareena 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, Kareena 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, Kareena 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, Kareena 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, Kareena modeled once again for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.
• The phenomenal success enjoyed by the Kareena Kapoor in Bollywood has turned her into one of the highest paid actresses in Indian cinema with an estimated net worth of $10 million. Quite a lot of it has come from the movies she has acted in. The star reportedly charges about $1 million per film appearance.
• Kareena has inked lucrative endorsement deals with MNC’s to endorse brands like Sony Vaio, Sony Ericsson Xperia, Lakme, Lux, Limca and Philips. The cumulative value of all these advertisement deals runs into millions of dollars.
• Kareena Kapoor resides in a lavish home in the upmarket Oberoi Crest residential complex in Mumbai. 
• The actress loves driving high end luxury vehicles and owns a Lexus LX 470 SUV and a BMW 7 series car.
• Kareena Kapoor has done her bit for charity and has recently helped to build a school for handicapped children.
• 2000 - Kareena was initially cast to make her debut opposite Hrithik Roshan in Rakesh Roshan's "Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai". Several days into the filming, however, she abandoned the project and later explained "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".
• 2000 - Kareena Kapoor made her debut with "Refugee" along with the debut of Amitabh Bachchan's son, Abhishek. Although the film didn’t do so well at the box office, it was enough for Kareena Kapoor to leave her mark as a girl with potential.
• 2001 - "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham" in which she also part of the song and the movie became the highest overseas grosser of that year gave her recognition and success as an actress. However her other films "Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai", "Yaadein", "Ajnabee" and "Asoka", released in the same year gained mediocre success.
• 2002 - 2003 Her career received a setback in 2002 and 2003. All her movies, "Mujhse Dosti Karoge!", "Jeena Sirf Merre Liye", "Talaash: The Hunt Begins…", "Khushi", "Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon", "LOC Kargil", were quite unsuccessful at the box-office.
• 2004 - 2005 Her movies released in 2004 and 2005 like "Chameli", "Yuva", "Fida", "Aitraaz", "Dev" also performed as a singer, "Hulchal", "Bewafaa", "Dosti: Friends Forever" received a lukewarm response at the box-office.
• However, her roles in "Chameli" and "Dev" were critically acclaimed. She also Turned down a role in "Bride and Prejudice".
• 2006 - She starred in "36 China Town", "Chup Chup Ke", "Omkara" and did a cameo appearance in "Don – The Chase Begins Again". Her portrayal of Dolly (based on Desdemona, from the Shakespearean play, Othello) received rave critical reviews.Listed as number 6 of 'Top Bollywood Actresses' of 2006.
• 2007 - The release of "Jab We Met" brought with it huge success and fan following. She delivered the role of a free spirited, fiery sikhni with gusto.
• 2008 - "Tashan", was a flop. Another release of "Roadside Romeo", an animated movie from Yash Raj and Walt Disney Pictures had her lending her voice to the character of Laila.
• 2009 - "Kambakkht Ishq" and "Main Aurr Mrs Khanna" both did not do so well, however "Kurbaan" and "3 Idiots" gained her nominations for Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
• 2010 - Kareena Kapoor appeared in the much stalled "Milenge Milenge". Karan Johar’s "We Are Family", a Hindi adaptation of Hollywood’s Stepmom (1998) saw her playing the role originally portrayed by the talented, Julia Roberts. The role won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
• Kareena Kapoor has been a part of the Golmaal series and has played a role in Golmaal Returns (2008) and was the leading lady in Golmaal 3 (2010).
• 2011 - Kareena Kapoor was first seen opposite Shah Rukh Khan in "Ra.One" and later opposite Salman Khan in "Bodyguard".Both these films did huge business at the box-office.
• 2012 - Kareena Kapoor, Bollywood Actress, was seen opposite Imran Khan in Karan Johar’s "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu" which also did well at the box-office. Her other films include "Agent Vinod" with her husband Saif Ali Khan, "Talaash" with Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji as the tantalizingly seductive prostitute, Rosie, in Reema Kagti's crime mystery "Talaash". Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's red-light districts, it follows the travails of its personnel and principal, Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Khan) who is assigned the duty of solving a mysterious car accident. The film generated predominantly positive reviews upon release and Kapoor was praised in particular. It is worth mentioning here that to prepare for her character (modelled after journalist Christiane Amanpour) in Prakash Jha's political drama Satyagraha, Kareena Kapoor will focus on familiarizing herself with up-to-date global affair issues and watching several news documentaries. She also appeared in Madhur Bhandarkar’s "Heroine".
• She has launched her own clothing line in association with being a brand ambassador for the retail chain Globus.
• As it is a well known fact that Kareena Kapoor has always set fashion trends through her films. She has always chosen to wear something different for all the events. Her roles in various movies have set fashion trends and she is the discerning style diva of Bollywood. The actress is synonymous with style and beauty for her fans. Even recently in her latest critically acclaimed film JAB WE MET, the long T-shirts with Patialas that she wears in the movie seems to have become a rage with the youngsters. Kareena Kapoor is the trendsetter of generation next.
• August 2007 - Kareena Kapoor replaced actress Soha Ali Khan as spokesperson for the clothing chain Globus in a two-year contract. Vinay Nadkarni (CEO of Globus Stores) explained that to move from a multi-brand to a single-brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different spokesperson for its new venture. On being appointed by Globus, Kareena Kapoor commented "I am delighted to be the face of Globus, I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation". Since then, the brand had reported a 75-percent increase in sales.
• Several months later Kareena Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, becoming the first Indian actress to do so: "I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for". She further stated that she would also be involved in the planning and design processes of the clothing. Her clothing line debuted several months later in stores across India, and was well received by the public. Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kareena expressed a desire to work with a design house to release her clothing line internationally; she later explained that those plans were on hold due to prior commitments.

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