Kareena Kapoor Khan

Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Kapoor was introduced as Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl with whom Bachchan's character falls in love.

Dutta cast her for the combination of youthfulness and innocence he found in her, and Kapoor considered their collaboration to be a learning experience that helped her personally and professionally.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama noted "the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes", and India Today reported that she belonged to a new breed of Hindi film actors that breaks away from character stereotypes.

Refugee was a moderate box-office success in India and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

Kareena Kapoor Khan (Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films.

She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor.

Noted for playing a variety of characters in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas—Kapoor is the recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards, and is one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses.

Born on 21 September 1980 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Kapoor (often informally referred to as 'Bebo') is the younger daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma is also an actress.

She is the paternal granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, maternal granddaughter of actor Hari Shivdasani, and great-granddaughter of filmmaker Prithviraj Kapoor.

The actor Rishi Kapoor was her uncle, and his son, actor Ranbir Kapoor, is her cousin.

According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her.

She is of Punjabi Hindu descent on her father's side, and on her mother's side she is of Sindhi Hindu and British descent.

Describing herself as a naughty, spoilt child, Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in acting; she was particularly inspired by the work of actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.

Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering films because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family.

She was raised by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.

Although her father was not present for most her childhood, Kapoor remarked that he played an important role in her life.

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, followed by Welham Girls' School in Dehradun.

She attended the institution primarily to satisfy her mother, though later admitted to liking the experience.

According to Kapoor, she was not inclined towards academics though received good grades in all her classes except mathematics.

Upon graduating from Welham, she returned to Mumbai and studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College.

Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard Summer School in the United States.

She later developed an interest in law, and enrolled at the Government Law College, Mumbai; during this period, she developed a long-lasting passion for reading.

However, after completing her first year, she decided to pursue her interest in acting, though she later regretted not having completed her education.

She began training at an acting institute in Mumbai mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India.

After making her acting debut in 2000 in Refugee, Kapoor established herself with roles in the dramas Aśoka and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (both 2001).

This was followed by a series of commercial failures and negative reviews for her repetitive roles.

An against-type performance as a sex worker in the drama Chameli marked a turning point in her career.

While training at the institute, Kapoor was cast as the lead in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite Hrithik Roshan.

Several days into the filming, however, she abandoned the project since more prominence was given to the director's son than her.

She debuted later that year alongside Abhishek Bachchan in J. P. Dutta's Refugee.

Kapoor was paired opposite Tusshar Kapoor in Satish Kaushik's box-office hit Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001).

She earned critical recognition for her portrayal of a riot victim in the 2004 drama Dev and a character based on Desdemona in the 2006 crime film Omkara.

Further praise came for her performances in the romantic comedies Jab We Met (2007) and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012), the thrillers Kurbaan (2009) and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), and the dramas We Are Family (2010), Heroine (2012), Udta Punjab (2016) and Laal Singh Chaddha (2022).

This led to a conflict between her parents and they lived separately before reconciling in October 2007.

Her highest-grossing releases include the comedy-dramas 3 Idiots (2009) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), the action films Bodyguard (2011) and Singham Returns (2014), and the comedies Veere Di Wedding (2018) and Good Newwz (2019).

Kapoor Khan is married to actor Saif Ali Khan, with whom she has two sons.

Her off-screen life is the subject of widespread coverage in India.

She is known for being outspoken and assertive and is recognised for her fashion style.

Beside film acting, Kapoor participates in stage shows, hosts a radio show and has contributed as a co-writer to two autobiographical memoirs and two books of nutrition guides.

She has started her own line of clothing and cosmetics for women, and has worked with UNICEF since 2014 to advocate for the education of girls and an increase in quality based education in India.