I still have that fire and greed of wanting to just be in front of camera, says Kareena Kapoor Khan

PTI, Sep 19, 2024, 8:33 AM IST

Mumbai: In her 25th year as an actor, Kareena Kapoor Khan says she still has the same passion, enthusiasm and drive as a newcomer stepping into Hindi cinema for the first time.

Kareena on Wednesday attended the official announcement of “PVRINOX celebrates 25 Years of Kareena Kapoor Khan Festival”, a week-long film gala that will celebrate her filmography of the past two decades.

“It just feels like I just gave my first shot yesterday because that’s the kind of energy I have inside me. I still have that fire, that want, that need, that greed of wanting to just be in front of the camera,” she told reporters here.

“I still can’t believe it’s actually going to be 25 years. I’m so happy that everyone’s going to get to watch all the fun movies as well as some films that I feel deserve so much more of that time, are going to get it now because they’re all going to come and watch it again,” she added.

The film festival will run in over 30 cinemas halls in 15 cities from September 20 to September 27.

Kareena, granddaughter of Hindi cinema icon Raj Kapoor, debuted as an actor with JP Dutta’s “Refugee”, opposite Abhishek Bachchan in 2000.

She soon established herself as one of the top leading ladies of Bollywood with critically-acclaimed and commercial successful movies such as “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…”, “Yuva”, “Chameli”, “Omkara”, “Jab We Met”, “Talaash: The Answer Lies Within”, “Udta Punjab”, “3 Idiots”, “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, “Golmaal 3”, “Veere Di Wedding” and “Crew” to her credit. The 43-year-old actor said when she entered the industry, the focus was on proving herself and being in as many films as possible.

“After a decade, if you are able to sustain, it’s also about the question of reinvention, which is very scary in an industry that is male dominated. But we’ve over the years had a lot of great actresses apart from me who’ve also taken big strides. “While straddling the fact that I’ve done films with the big superstars and all those are successful films, I’ve also had a career which I’ve simultaneously done to prove myself as an actor because I think the longevity of an actor is only possible if they also repeatedly prove their talent,” Kareena said.

The actor further said the luck did play a role in her success and at the same time, it was also due to her eagerness to try something new.

“Every five years, I would look back and say, ‘Now what am I supposed to do to try and do something new?’ Because it’s not about just being there and being part of the successful films, it’s about having and leaving a legacy.

“I do come from a family where I’ve been challenged and always felt like they’re so amazing but I need to leave my mark somewhere. If this longevity is not there, then how is it going to happen and how am I going to last?” she said.

Kareena also talked about her two fan-favourite characters — Poo from Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…” and Geet from Imtiaz Ali-directed “Jab We Met”.

“When we were doing Poo, at least I was just following Karan’s instructions. I knew it was a super fun character, but no one really thought that 25 years later, you’d still have characters based around that… I think when you set out with the intention of saying that we have to make this character great or this has to be amazing, it’s going to be fab. The magic… it just has to happen. You never really know when you’re creating it,” she said.

When “Jab We Met”, in which she starred alongside Shahid Kapoor, came out, the actor said her focus was more on “Tashan”, the ensemble action movie that also featured Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor.

“I was shooting ‘Tashan’ simultaneously (with ‘Jab We met’). ‘Tashan’ was like a really big film because it had Akshay Kumar, Anil (Kapoor) ji, Saif Ali Khan, and it was a YRF film. Whereas ‘Jab We Met’, it was like we were new. They had done one film and there were never really any big names attached to it at that point.

“I was always like, ”Tashan’ is going to be amazing.’ I’m working on this body (size-zero figure). I’m going to do my action film.” After “Jab We Met” was released, Kareena said people loved it way more than “Tashan”.

“You think, ‘Everyone’s going to watch this (Tashan), but everyone watched that (Jab We Met)’. So, there was no real plan. I think magic should just happen. It can’t be planned, and we say it can’t be created,” she added.

Kareena said she never saw herself as just a brand but a passionate artist. She credits her success to her fans and hopes to make different choices which could become part of a future film festival.

“I want people to watch my work, my films and know that I am an actor who is very passionate about her job. I’m an actor who’s been loved by her fans. I am where I am after 25 years only because of them.

“People like to see me in those roles because there is a connection to the masses somehow, they feel that (way)… There is that connection which I really appreciate. And I don’t know how. When I’m planning the next 25, hopefully for it to have more films that will play here in the cinemas and people will enjoy it in different roles,” she said.