| Karisma Kapoor Unplugged
She comes from
a family that reads like the who’s who of the film industry.
From great grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor to grandfather
Raj Kapoor and parents Babita and Randhir Kapoor, not
to mention Shammi, Shashi, Rishi Kapoor and aunts Geeta
Bali, Jennifer Kapoor and Neetu Singh, all of whom left
quite an impact on the silver screen. Quite an uphill
task for a young girl of 15 going on sixteen, which
was when Karisma Kapoor decided to enter the film industry.
The first myth she shatters is the fact that it was
said the Kapoor women were not allowed to act, and adds
that her grandfather Raj Kapoor always thought she was
the one who would eventually enter films. She would
often accompany him as a child to film shootings. She
was initially supposed to make her debut opposite Bobby
Deol in a film called Barsaat which Twinkle Khanna did
eventually, but when it was long in the making had the
guts to opt out to do Prem Qaidi with Rama Naidu. It
was a long hard road ahead and not until Raja Babu and
Khuddar where her claim to fame were two risque songs,
“Sarkaiy le khatiya jaada lage...” and, “Sexy sexy sexy
mujhe log bole...” ( the latter creating a furor in
the Parliament before being banned on national radio
and television, till “sexy” was replaced by “baby”)
did Karisma Kapoor arrive. Then came a spate of hits
and awards, with Raja Hindustani, Dil to Pagal Hai,
which won her the national award as did Zubeida, and
Karisma Kapoor finally did her lineage proud..
When you decided to enter the film industry what
did mom say?
Whatever I am today is because of what my mother taught
me. She told both Kareena and me that it is going to
be very hard.There will be a lot of blood sweat and
tears. It might be easy to get a break because you are
from a known family, but the day your film releases
you are nobody’s son, daughter or relative. You are
what the box-office creates. And the expectation from
the star sons and daughters are so high and in my case
and Kareena’s we had such a huge family reputation to
live up to; right from our grandfather down to our uncles
and aunts, every one has had an outstanding career.
So it was so much harder, but honestly I believed so
much in myself and in what I was doing that I said am
prepared for all the hardship and struggle. Besides
descending from that kind of lineage why should I not
act? I wanted to do my best to carry on this legacy
and make my ancestors proud of me.
Things were not easy and a lot of times I would get
discouraged, cry myself to sleep, but at the same time
I never gave up hope that some day my hard work will
pay off. Even when I decided to do Prem Qaidi and not
Barsaat with Bobby Deol, people thought I was mad, but
I felt if I have some talent and am willing to work
hard people would accept me. If I don’t have it in me
no matter how big the banner is, I won’t be appreciated.
Even though you ended up with several commercial
hits after Raja Hindustani, it’s films like Fiza and
Zubeida that really made you come into your own as a
very fine actress.
It’s an experience that changed my life. I never even
thought I would ever be offered a movie like that. When
Shyam Benegal called and asked for me I said rather
disbelievingly are you sure it’s me he really wants
to talk to? I went and met him and when I heard the
subject I said my God what greater opportunity for an
actress to show her acting ability? I had had 4 hits
in a row in 2000 and people would ask me what are you
going to do now? Are you going to stay stuck in this
rut and I said no I want to grow. Films like Fiza and
Zubeida just happened. In Zubeida the role was so tough,
emotionally and physically exhausting, requiring such
sensitivity. It wasn’t a regular run of the mill role;
it was a true story. I related to it that way, that
it was not fiction, a woman actually went through all
this, and I have to feel all that and portray the complexities
of her character.”
What kind of homework did you have to do?
I watched a lot of Shyamji’s movies and since I was
also obviously this so called hard core commercial film
actress working with him, I tried to get to know him
better, and his working style, as well. We did a lot
of research, be it hair styles, make up; the acting
style and body language that they had in those days
were very different than what we have today. A lot went
into making it. The toughest scene in the film believe
it or not was shot on the first day of the shooting.
In that I am getting hysterical because I feel my husband
doesn’t love me , the elections are happening and I
am drinking my tea, and my hand was shaking and then
there is a scene where I had to push Rekha auntie. I
was pushing her so tentatively and saying sorry, sorry,
but eventually I had to push her hard, while the airplane
had to take off, so many things were happening simultaneously.
I feel so honored to have done that film, because a
film like that doesn’t happen to an actress every day.
Even Sridevi and Madhuri didn’t get films like Zubeida
and Fiza if I may say so.
Fiza was another tough one, a very deglamorised role
for you.
When I did Fiza and Fiza came before Zubeida, everybody
said you have gone mad. How can you accept a movie like
this. It’s really not a commercial movie. And I said
if I don’t do it now when will I do it? Today being
at the top, I can do it and people will actually take
notice of it and watch it and I am so thankful to the
audience both in India and overseas, who encouraged
me and loved me in these movies. It was because of this
kind of feedback that I feel encouraged to do similar,
powerful but not necessarily commercialized films. I
am however going a bit slow about sending feelers to
directors because I want to get the best people to direct
me and the same kind of a wonderful set up. I haven’t
really planned anything in my career. Whatever has happened
has been a gradual growth, and that is really the best
way to grow. I want to balance out both sides — doing
the regular commercial movies because I am getting a
lot of those. Usually actresses switch to non-commercial
movies after they have faded out or are not getting
commercial ones. Luckily today I am in a position to
have the best of both the worlds.
You have actually had the courage to accept films
like Janwar, Ek hi Rishta and Dil to Pagal Hai where
you did not have the lead role.
Basically a good actress will be good even in a small
role or a bad movie and you can see that in people like
Sridevi, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit and hopefully me. It’s
true I didn’t have much to do in the first two movies
but I feel that one doesn’t have to be in the first
frame to the last to leave an impact. Ek Rishta and
Janwar did well and I did Ek Rishta for the director
who is a friend of mine.
There were stories that your role kept on getting
extended in Dil To Pagal Hai, as Yash Chopra kept getting
more and more impressed by your histrionic and dancing
abilities.
No there is no truth to that. I know there were some
members of the press who said that after the success
of Raja Hindustani the role was lengthened but in fact
when I read the script and saw my role I thought this
is such a great role , how are the other actors acting
in this movie. The very first shot I did was the famous
dance competition with Madhuri. I’m not a trained dancer
and we never rehearsed. In truth I never competed with
Madhuri Dixit. I looked up to her and there were never
any bad vibes ... that’s why that showed through. The
whole trend of western exercise gear started from that
movie. For me even to get two scenes, if they were well
etched is enough to make an impact.It is a very Indian
mentality to obsess oh how many songs do I have in the
film? What are my scenes? My attitude is what is the
essence of the role, what is the meaty part. Besides
if you don’t take risks how will you know?
Your mom Babitaji was saying that the film industry
has changed so much. Gone are the days when people worked
like a family. Now it’s each for his own self.
Yes, the film industry is not the same way even from
the time I joined. Things have changed so much. When
we started out, we had to work very hard to be noticed
by the media. Now anyone and everyone can get exposure
on TV and instant recognition; some one acts in a pop
video and starts thinking hey man I am a star. And I
think today things move really fast. Unfortunately there
are no times for lasting relationships.
If you had to act in a single film by your grandfather
Raj Kapoor which one will it be?
My god they are all so good, but I’d love to act in
Awaara, Barsaat and Sangam. He had such an amazing sense
of presentation. Till today there is no film director
who can compare with him. Over the years however I have
learnt so much from my directors and fellow actors I
imbibe the essence of their best qualities. For example
with Shyamji even having a conversation is a learning
experience. He is such an intellectual, and so knowledgeable.
He speaks so well; from him I have learnt to just be.
As commercial actors we tend to create this larger than
life persona for ourselves. He said just be human. from
Khalid Mohammed of Fiza I have learnt about writing,
from David Dhawan I have learnt comic timing and he
has excellent editing abilities. I’m always excited
by Shahrukh’s energy, Govinda’s sense of comedy and,
Salman’s ... er spontaneity. He just will do ... anything
and you have keep following him!
So which future projects are you really excited about?
I’m really excited about a film called Shakti. Its Sridevi’
home production and I am such a great fan of hers, and
it strange how life has come a full circle, today I
am acting in her movie. It has Nana Patekar, Shahrukh
Khan, Sanjay Kapoor, and me and it’s a very intense
movie. Its inspired by Not Without My Daughter and its
basically about the power of a woman, a wife and mother
and basically how she fights for her child. It was a
hard-hitting and difficult role for me emotionally.
The kind of scenes the movie has will make people sit
up in their seats.
Then there is Mere Jeevan Saathi with Amisha Patel and
Akshay Kumar in it in which I have a really nice role
with shades of gray, something different for me. I am
doing a movie with Madhur Bhandarkar of Chandni Bar
fame. I found the subject very interesting. I am also
doing a film with Anil Kapoor called Rishtey which will
be my next release. So right now I’m doing some commercial
films and then will be doing some different films, like
the one Shyam Benegal has offered me based on the story
of a gypsy girl.
-- Kavita Chhibber Narula
NEXT MONTH: Sister Kareena Kapoor.
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