She is special, indeed! While some compare her magic to that of Mumtaz, others swear she has the sensuality of Madhubala! Going by the look of things no one knows this better than Kareena Kapoor herself!
She is, to put it mildly, different. For Starters, Kareena is demanding a whopping fee after just two releases. The figure is reportedly so towering, no actor in her position - let's leave the poor actresses out of this altogether - has had the nerve to demand such price! What's more, she's getting it.
She has walked out of films when she didn't find them convenient enough. Yet every director worth his salt is panting to sign her on. Her debut film Refugee was not very successful, yet her graph has been surging upwards.
Even before Kareena Kapooor could enter the industry, she generated considerable hype. Nothing new there really, since every star kid has enjoyed this advantage over other less fortunate newcomers. Her being Raj Kapoor's granddaughter and sister of the hugely successful Karisma Kapoor was enough to raise expectations sky-high.
Unlike her other less confident predecessors who literally withered under the weight of enomous expectations, Kareena Kapoor just seened to get stronger! Today, she has the best of banners, be it a Yash Chopra, a Subhash Ghai, a Karan Johar. Sheer luck or is there really something uncommonly special about Kareena Kapoor? Cine Blitz spoke to a cross section of industry insiders to define the enigma
MANISH MALHOTRA : Fashion Guru
"Kareena has the magic of Mumtaz or a Shidevi. She has immense personal style. Sridevi was noticed even when she was doing a not-so-wonderful Himmatwala. There are few actresses who are electrifying on screen and Kareena falls into this category.
"Kareena has this star quality that the other newcomers lack. She looks and behaves like a star. Naturally she is No.1 to 10, as far as newcomers are concerned! Mind you, this quality is not cultivated - it's inherent.
"The best thing about Kareena is that she is very confident of her abilities. She is not the kind to take shit from anybody.
She might have just come into the industry, but she has seen her elder sister Karisma struggle to reach where she is today. There are certain mistakes, which Kareena will never make. If you know your mind, and aware that you are good, people are a little hesitant to take you for granted. Besides if you have a mother like Babita to guide you, it's much easier!
"Kareena is the last one to be taken for a ride but that doesn't make her arrogant, as some people presume. People cannot digest her success, which is why it suits them to say she's arrogant. She is one of the most warm and friendly persons I have met. She is so giving all the time. She wants to feed her friends to bursting point! Yet she believes in living life her own way and not bending to industry rulesSurely that is not asking for too much!
She is very sensuous, and this is evident no matter what she wears. Kareena could be wearing a salwar kurta, but once she appears on screen, her look and carriage is so sensuous, she leaves the audience panting for more.
"You have to be intelligent to know what you want and what's good for you and to then go ahead and get it Even though Kareena denies it, I keep telling her, 'You are the most intelligent 20-year-old I have met!' Imagine having such clarity of thought at the age of 20!
"I for one, will always be grateful to Kareena because she brought Karisma and me back together. She's like that she doesn't fights. She is the peacemaker amongst her group of friends."
AMOD MEHRA : Trade Analyst
You want to make love to MADHURI, but you want to fall in love with KAREENA!"
"Kareena has charm, she has the look and she has a very mesmersing screen presence. Nothing much can be said about her histrionics, as she hasn't really had the opportunity to show them off. Anyway too much acting talent is not expected from a Hindi film heroine! She has much going in her favour to make her a success.
"Kareena has managed to generate a kind of never seen before heat. It is feasible for a producer to pay her a huge amount because she has tremendous market value. She has suddenly acquired a major big star status. Producers don't mind paying her a huge sum because they know they will recover the amount.
"She reminds me a lot of Madhubala. Till date, we trade pundits have maintained that Madhubala had the most sex appeal, coupled with grace. An actress can have immense grace but no sex appeal. Like a Jaya Prada, for instance. Madhuri Dixit came close to Madhubala The difference between Madhuri and Kareena, is while you want to make love to Madhuri, you want to fall in love with Kareena!
"Kareena has come in at the right time and this definitely works in her favour. She has managed to shine way ahead possibly because of a shortage of heroines. At the moment, there is no one really to give her any kind of competition.
"There is a lot of difference between Karisma and Kareena. When Karisma entered films, she was more tomboyish. It took her at least five years to bloom into what she is today. Kareena on the other hand, has this perfect Indian look. She looks great even in a salwar kurta! She is so sensuous you just need to look at her eyes to feel sexyyou don't even need to look at her body. She has this mesmerising star charisma.
"I still maintain that Kareena is not such a great actress, but then neither was Madhubala. That grace, that charm and that smile though, were enough to disarm anybody!
"Another quality that works in Kareena's favour is her confidence in herself. Success does bring confidence but this girl has loads of it! Kareena had the guts to say she doesn't want to work with the likes of David Dhawan. Tomorrow she might work with him, but as far as I know, she meant to say that she is not here to titillate the frontbenchers.
"Her blooming into such a big star has, in some manner, affected Karisma's success. Since Karisma started doing the more serious kind of roles, she is considered to be in an older bracket and youngsters don't really vibe with her too much. They prefer aping Kareena now! Also we nust consider the luck factor. Kareena has been damn luck to bag the very best of banners!"
KARAN JOHAR : Director
"Kareena Kapoor is an extremely special person even off screen. She is such an entertaining human being! She makes you laugh and smile all the time, which is so important in these mad, hectic working schedules. On screen, she is so vivacious that it's hard to ignore her. She fills up the entire screen. She could be just a part of the scene in the background, yet she managers to catch the attention. I can't claim to have seen the actresses to yore, but as far as I know she is the most 'watchable' heroine of all. She brings life to the screen, be it in a song, a scene or just a moment.
"One of Kareena's strengths, which I don't think many know of, is her comic timing. She is amazing with comedy. Juhi and Sridevi had it and now it's Kareena. She is outstanding at comedy. Everyone knows that she is sexy and glamorous but I am sure this talent too will soon be tapped. It will be her USP (Unique Selling Point)
"Kareena believes in LIVING LIFE her own way and bending to industry rules SURELY that is not asking for too much!"
"When I signed Kareena on, I hadn't even seen a single frame of hers. I just saw her at a party and I had to have her in my film. She is a star! She looks like a star and carries herself like one. She may not be a great dancer but the way she moves herself suggests she is great! She has wonderful body language. She is simply magnetic on screen."
SUNIL SHETTY: Actor
"Kareena reminds me of those heroines of yesteryears. It's that nostalgic charm combined with today's thinking that makes her a lethal combination. The first day I worked with Kareena in Refugee, I knew she was a big star in the making. If you don't believe me, ask Mana. That day itself I went home and told Mana that Kareena was simply amazing!
"Kareena knows how to first with the camera and in turn when the audience watches her on screen, they feel like she is flirting with them. That is her charm. I have always had this eye for genuine stars and I knew that someday she would be very big. Look at her today, no newcomer can reach even close!"
J. P. DUTTA : Film Maker
"I signed Kareena on because she is a very good looking girl and also because that she was very focused on doing films. If someone is good looking, is focused and is brought up in a film atmosphere, then half the battle is won. I feel that anybody who's brought up in a film culture is always a better bet. And moreover, Kareena has all the assets of being a Hindi film actress.
"I don't know her market value and all. All I know is that this girl feels all sirts of emotions. It is very important for an actress, to feel the emotions that she is enacting. And Kareena does just that. This is a major plus point with Kareena Kapoor. Only when you can feel the emotions can you act well. You cannot fool the audience.
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