Happy Birthday to Karisma Kapoor

She was truly the blue-eyed girl of the Hindi film industry a few years ago.

She had it all — beauty, brains, talent, and that very crucial stardom gene. A true diva, she reigned over people’s hearts with her sensational looks and enviable talent.

Be it in looks or on-screen performance, Karisma is truly one actress whose transformation has been phenomenal. She was born to actor-parents Randhir Kapoor and Babita, on 25th June 1974, with the quintessential silver spoon in her mouth. She was another rising star in the already famous Kapoor khandaan, the first family of Hindi cinema. Yet, Raj Kapoor’s granddaughter had a shaky start in films. Despite her lineage, Karisma struggled to get her foothold for a few years, but when she arrived, she did so with a big bang.

The energetic actress made her debut in 1991 with Prem Qaidi . The movie was successful enough for the young aspirant to be noticed, and she received a lot of praise for her confidence and screen presence. But, despite what seemed like unanimous approval from industry folks, Karisma didn’t have it very easy for the next few years.

Despite acting with stars like Salman Khan ( Nischaiy ), Ajay Devgan ( Jigar ) and Jackie Shroff ( Police Officer ), true stardom and satisfying roles seemed out of reach.

Then came the mad romantic comedy phase with Govinda. She starred with the riotous actor in movies like Raja Babu, Khuddar, Coolie No 1 and others. The films went on to become blockbusters but, Karisma was heavily criticised for her overacting, tacky dress sense and vulgar dance moves. The flak continued despite the fact that her movies made a lot of money.

Then the makeover began. Traces of it could be seen in movies like Aatish, Gopi Kishen and Bal Bramhachari . But, the big leap came with Raja Hindustani opposite Aamir Khan.

The role of the city bred girl who falls in love with a village boy was initially offered to Juhi Chawla but when she turned it down, director Dharmesh Darshan decided to give the young actress a chance. Karisma saw it as her big ticket to the ‘A’ bracket. She worked hard on her looks, her diction, and her performance.

She was appreciated in the film to such extents that post the film’s super success; people started tagging the movie as Rani Hindustani. Karisma’s determination, focus and hard work finally paid off. The accolades and the awards poured in including the Filmfare trophy for Best Actress that year.

Karisma ruled as the queen bee of the marquee for a few years after that. She continued to do her madcap comedies with Govinda but, there was a marked difference in the way she presented herself. The effect she had on screen was phenomenal with her lissome figure and cherubic smile.

Around the same time, she bagged Dil To Pagal Hai (again a role rejected by Juhi Chawla) where she starred along with Shah Rukh Khan. Karisma got to display her immense dancing talent in this film. The movie proved to be a vital turning point in her career. Yash Chopra brought out the best in her, and she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Filmfare Awards. She won not just the black lady but also the national award that year. Lolo, as family and friends fondly call her was going from strength to strength.

She followed that up with yet another stellar role in Biwi No 1 . The movie also saw her in a completely different avatar, dressed in Kanjeevaram saris throughout.

Having explored the commercial terrain to the hilt, Karisma now seemed to thirst for more meaningful roles. That was when Fiza came her way. Her soulful character in search of her missing brother brought out the true actress in her. The role once again earned her a Filmfare trophy for Best Actress.

Karisma continued in the same vein with Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa, a true art house film. Her portrayal of a young girl who falls in love with a prince truly impressed the critics and she went home with the Filmfare Critics Awards for Best Actress that year. Post Zubeidaa , Karisma cut down on her assignments. Only Shakti, which was based on Not without My Daughter, is worth a mention. In 2002, the actress who had reigned over the Hindi film domain for many years decided to explore other arenas and ventured into television with the serial, Karishma — The Miracles of Destiny.

On 29th September 2003, she tied the knot with business tycoon Sanjay Kapur, and understandably her career took a backseat. Today the couple has a daughter named Samaira.

Karisma Kapur’s starry career is speckled with glory, success and glamour. A true star, whose light shines with immeasurable brightness.

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