Kareena Kapoor born on September 21, 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary romantic dramas to comedies, period films to major Bollywood productions, as well as less publicised independent films.
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Born into a family where her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age, but did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… became India’s highest-grossing film in the overseas market in 2001, and is one of her biggest commercial successes to date. After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and she was later noted for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).
In 2007, Kapoor received her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Jab We Met, a romantic comedy directed by Imtiaz Ali. She went on to play the lead female role in the thriller Kurbaan (2009), for which she earned critical acclaim, and the drama 3 Idiots (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. Having done so, Kareena Kapoor has established herself as a leading actress of the Hindi film industry. In addition to movie acting, Kareena Kapoor is a regular stage performer and has launched her own clothing line in association with being the brand ambassador for the retail chain Globus. Her off-screen life, including her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan, is the subject of wide media coverage in India.
Stage performances
A group of performers on a stage. The women are wearing colorful bustier and skirts and are sitting, while the men are standing behind them. Central to them is a woman wearing a blue, sparkling costume.
Kapoor performing at Temptation Reloaded 2008
Kapoor has been part of several stage shows and world tours since 2002. Her first world tour, the Heartthrobs: Live in Concert, was successfully performed across the United States and Canada alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. At the end of the year, she performed alongside several Bollywood stars at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, for the show Now or Never. Four years later, 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 concert was showcased in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and went on to become a success. In 2008, Kapoor participated in Shahrukh Khan’s Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Several months later, she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai’s Festival City Arena.
Humanitarian work
During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, while in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert, to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawan troops 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 April 2007, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of Indian Rupee symbol.svg5,000,000 (US$111,000) 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. She subsequently went on to donate her winnings of Indian Rupee symbol.svg2,500,000 (US$55,500) and Indian Rupee symbol.svg1,000,000 (US$22,200) from the game shows, Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? and 10 Ka Dum, to the old age home in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The following year, Kapoor attended the NDTV Greenathon, where she adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide them with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. Several months later, Kapoor was roped in by UNESCO and FIFA for their international campaign, 1GOAL Education for All. The project consisted of a group of individuals raising public awareness and involvement in achieving education for children. Upon joining the project, she said: “Education is a way to emancipation. It is not just freedom from poverty but also from hopelessness. Countries in Southeast Asia have a high level of poverty … and we should do something to help erase this. I would like to contribute in some way or other to help spread this awareness. “In March 2011, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Kapoor was appointed as the brand ambassador of the Shakti campaign, a project launched by the television company, NDTV, to help fight violence against women.
Clothing line
In August 2007, Kapoor replaced actress Soha Ali Khan, when she was hired as the brand ambassador for the clothing chain Globus on a two-year contract. Vinay Nadkarni, CEO of Globus Stores Pvt Ltd, explained that in an attempt to move away from being a multi-branded retail chain to adopting a single brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different brand ambassador for its new business ventures. On being appointed by Globus, Kapoor commented, “I am delighted to be the face of Globus … I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation”. Since her start, it was reported that the brand had experienced a 75 percent increase in sales.
Several months later, Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, thus becoming the first Indian actress to do so. She said, “I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for”. Kapoor further stated that she would also be involved in the planning and designing process of the clothing as well. Her clothing line debuted several months later in stores across India and was well-received by the public. Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kapoor expressed her desire of working with an international design house to release her clothing line internationally; she later explained that her plans had to be put on hold due to prior commitments.
