Kareena Kapoor, dressed in red gown, tilts her head just enough to give the photographer that perfect shot. Predictably, he is in raptures. There are three costume changes,which usually means a tedious wait, but this one is wrapped up in record time. And between a sitting with her dietician, staccato exchanges with her publicist and checking out messages on the 'phone, the actress, looking every inch the incredible, envy-inducing size-zero, tackles the interview with aplomb.
She has Golmaal Returns coming up for Diwali, which has her play a suspicious housewife with a penchant for watching saas-bahu serials. It’s difficult to imagine the glamorous Ms Kapoor playing a bored housewife but that, as she never fails to reiterate with her actions and words, is a testimony to her skill as an actor. “Acting is in my genes,” she says laughing. There’s also Kambakkht Ishq opposite Akshay Kumar set in LA - in which she’s essaying “a character who is arrogant, doesn’t like men and does a bit of modelling to earn a few bucks.”
So what’s a girl like her doing in a film reported to boast of some incredible stunts (Akshay plays a Hollywood stuntman)—”The second half has an emotional angle which ends in a Taming Of The Shrew-like plot,” returns Kapoor.
But the big-ticket movie release in 2009 likely to wash down well with both masses and the critic is likely to be Rajkumar Hirani’s Three Idiots, wherein she comes together with Aamir Khan f or the first time. Incidentally it was Raja Hindustani opposite Aamir that turned around elder sis Karisma’s career.
The hugeness of it all is not lost on her. “I am truly blessed to be coming together in a movie which involves Aamir, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani.”
The film, as the director had pointed out in an earlier interview, is about the pursuit of excellence as opposed to success. Kareena maintains that it’s something that she has always followed in her life. “I have never chased box-office success. I have always been very confident that I will be able to pull off any kind of role. Apart from the loss of weight, nothing about me has changed. I work equally hard for every film. I will never be a dressed up flowerpot in a film.”
While she has always been considered a natural, Kapoor of late has come into her own as a fashion diva. Among actresses, she is probably endorsing more products than any other and her size zero look for Tashan and relationship with colleague Saif Ali Khan has added to her appeal. Perceived as free spirited with a mind of her own besides being enormously talented, the actress does not seem to be buying into her own myth of a style diva.
“Dressing up is part of the job; every woman likes to dress up. It’s not my personal style. In Hollywood, outside of the red carpet events, the stars really believe in dressing down as they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. It’s only here that stars have security guards around them. I must be the only Bollywood star to not have security surrounding me,” she states matter-of-factly.
It is telling that she is the central figure in the publicity stills and posters of Gomlaal Returns in spite of the film being packed with male stars. Kapoor is confident that the comic caper will bring in the audience.
Her judgment of critical acclaim is perhaps astute. Speaking of her chances at winning awards she is candour personified.
“I want all the awards,” she says with a laugh, adding “but this time I think will have to do with performing at the awards functions,” she says, laughing.
And after a pause adds that regardless of everything she will continue acting into her old age. “I will be like Zohra Sehgal.”
Amen to that.