In a no holds barred interview, Kareena Kapoor talks about why Salman is the biggest superstar today and how Ranbir Kapoor will rise like a phoenix. The actress also admits that she isn’t ready for kids for another two years at least.
Q: Bajrangi Bhaijaan is your third
film with Salman Khan. How has he changed over the years?
Kareena Kapoor: Oh yes! It’s the third. I almost forget Kyon Ki was 10 years back, it feels as though I have worked with
Salman forever. In 1990 he was opposite Karisma in Nischay. I have known him since then. He is a lot calmer now. Most
of the actors I have worked with from that generation – be it Salman, SRK, Ajay
or Akshay – I think they are lot more calmer now and a lot more good looking.
Q: Did the tension of
the ongoing hit and run case ruling reflect on Salman during the last
schedule of the film?
KK: I don’t think so. Salman is such a strong person. Even if
something is affecting him, he doesn’t let it come in the way of his work or
showing it to people. He is a very strong man.
Q: What have you learnt
from Salman?
KK: Salman’s greatest quality is that he is the greatest
superstar there can ever be and he does not feel it, know it or make others
feel it.
Q: You are working in
commercial as well as offbeat films. Comment.
KK: I have always wanted to strike a balance between commercial
cinema and offbeat films. I am known as
an actor as well as a star. To maintain the star status it’s important to do
commercial masala films. And I have done that all my life. Offbeat cinema will
always be a part of me. I am working with Raj Kumar Gupta, R Balki and Abhishek
Chaubey. All these films will be very different.
Q: Has marriage
changed the way you are accepted in Bollywood?
KK: Everyone says Salman and other stars want to work with 18-year-olds
but Salman is working with a married woman and that’s a very big achievement
for me. Kabir Khan decided that this is a role Kareena can play. I am still
working in commercial films after being married. My mother-in-law did that and
I will also continue to do that. Marriage has made no difference to my career.
I was living in with Saif even before I got married.
Q: You are working with newer directors now.
KK: In 15 years, I have worked with every possible director in
the country. Until now I had not worked with Kabir. After being married I
thought now is the time to work with different and new directors – that’s why
this decision of working with Kabir, Raj Kumar Gupta or R Balki and Abhishek Chaubey. Raj is
still writing the film. When he came to me, I said I definitely want to work
with you irrespective of which film it is – working with a fresh mind is a good
experience.
They are all different kind of directors. After a certain time in your career you want to try different things. Of course I will keep working with Rohit Shetty. That’s not going to change.
Q: You earlier said you don’t see yourself romancing the newer generation stars like Varun Dhawan. But you will be romancing Arjun soon in R Balki’s film.
KK: The script demanded it. When Balki wrote this film he was very clear that he was writing it for me. He believed that it would be a great part for me and when I heard the script – half way through the narration at my place, I said yes to him. In the interval I told him I am doing the film. An actor’s instinct is the most important thing. I am very instinctive.
Q: Do you think the life
span of actresses have increased?
KK: I don’t know about that but I will be 16 years running.
That’s a very rare case in Bollywood. I am going to complete 50 years as well in
future. I will work till I am 80. It’s about your passion and about what you
believe. It’s not important to be seen in every film but it’s important to
strike a balance between being a star and an actor and to keep constantly looking
good. You are as old as you look.
Q: With the success of
films like Tanu Weds Manu Returns, heroine-oriented films are gaining prominence.
When can we see you in out and out heroine oriented title roles?
KK: I don’t think so. In the 60s and 70s too there were films
like Seeta and Geeta, Amar Prem which had a very strong female role. So I don’t know
why people keep talking about heroine oriented films because it’s content based
films. Chameli, Heroine were strong roles so was my role in Jab We Met. The character was very strong but it would
not have been like that without Shahid’s character. We are getting confused
between content-based stories and calling them heroine oriented cinema. In Omkara – Othello is not complete without
Desdemona. Both Saif and I had great parts.
Q: Are you playing a doctor in Udta Punjab? After Jab We Met everyone was rooting for you and Shahid to come together on screen. What took so long?
KK: I am playing a doctor in Amritsar. It’s an amazing film. I
love the story. When he was narrating the story – the
script got my goat. I didn’t know if I wanted to cry. Some movies may not be a
150 crore but it’s the story that people will talk about. Shahid and I are not
opposite each other. In fact I don’t have any scenes with Alia also. It’s a
three-track film based on drug drama. I think Shahid is wonderful and I would
love to work with him but it has to be that kind of a film where there’s a
great script.
Q: You have worked with
all the Khans multiple times. How do you make sure there is newness in the
chemistry despite having a comfort level with them?
KK: Yes, I have done two films each with Aamir Khan and Saif and three
films each with SRK and Salman. You learn from different artists when you work
with them. I would love to have the energy that SRK has because he never gets
tired. With all
these actors I have done so much work, so the comfort level is there. The mileu
of every film is different. I did Omkara and Golmaal series with Ajay Devgn. Both films are
poles apart. The story, the mileu and the whole atmosphere helps you emote
completely differently. An actor’s chemistry is brought about in scenes through dialogues so they bring
out the newness in chemistry. Therefore it is also important to work with
different directors.
Q: What’s your role in
Saif’s home production?
KK: Nothing. Apart from being his wife, I have no other role in
his life.
Q: Have you thought of planning a family or reached that stage of discussing it with Saif yet?
KK: No. I think I am not ready for that at all. It’s not even a
thought. I am very greedy for everything. I want to do everything. People told
me not to get married as it’s not good to be a married actress in Bollywood, but
I did that and I will still work with everybody after that also. I have been an
exception to the rule. I have not lost any brand endorsements ever since I got
married. It works differently for different people. I am not mentally ready to
have a child. Definitely not for the next two years. We don’t even discuss it.
Q: Which is the one genre you would love to try and haven’t done so far?KK: Something that I can’t do. I can’t do action and I hate it. But I wish I could do action like in Kill Bill and I love Uma Thurman. I have the fluidity of her body. I can dance but I can’t do those kind of action scenes. I wish I could.
Q: After the debacle of
Bombay Velvet Ranbir is going through a bad patch. What’s your advice to him?
KK: Why will he be depressed? He doesn’t need advice. Nobody
should give anyone advice. And I am no one to advice anyone. It’s fine. Ups and
downs are a part of life. He has his biggest weapon – his talent. We all go
through various phases in our life and it doesn’t matter at all. In fact he
should smile and I am sure he will rise like a phoenix.
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