Birthday Special: The charming aura of Karisma Kapoor, the contagiousness of her songs

Karisma Kapoor. File Pic/Yogen Shah

Karisma Kapoor was barely 17 years old when she started working as an actor in the Hindi film industry. In these three decades, which includes an eight-year sabbatical and a return to acting with a web show, she has continued to retain hardcore fans and genuine admirers. She's a stunner and also a fine actor one can root for.

Her films have been blockbusters, blunders, and bizarre, but one thing that has stayed intact is how she has managed to have one beautiful melody and one boisterous chartbuster in so many of them. As the actress turns 47, here are some personal choices of her soundtracks:

Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori- Andaz Apna Apna (1994)

Rajkumar Santoshi's overlooked comedy was too slapstick for the time it was made in. Aamir Khan and Salman Khan channeling their inner comics and childlike idiocy wasn't really embraced immediately. Neither was the music by Tushar Bhatia. It was an ode to the cinema of the 60s, something Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor would have been proud of. One of the tracks was ‘Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori', ingeniously choreographed by Saroj Khan, with Karisma Kapoor, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Raveena Tandon, all in their innocent mode.

Mirchi Lagi Toh- Coolie No. 1 (1995)

It takes a lot to be in the same frame as Govinda. It takes a lot more to act and dance with Govinda. Karisma Kapoor did that almost in the entire decade of the 90s. This is a song that has been celebrated and revisited many times over the years. The lyrical genius and the choreographic frolic continue to live on. The remix in the remake is proof why it's important to acknowledge an original piece of work.

Dance of Envy- Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)

The 90s had Govinda and then it had Madhuri Dixit. If the actress matched steps with one, how could she not with the other! Yash Chopra's actresses have always looked stunning and sensual, here, on a rare occasion, she looked furious, envious, and haughty. Her injury forces the leader of her dance troupe to look for a replacement that soon becomes permanent. The man Kapoor's Nisha loves has fallen for the new woman in the troupe. So the reservoir of emotions seem justified. She's back from the hospital but begins to dance on the floor with Dixit till she can. It's a classic moment and both the actresses make it more blistering. But who to root for?

Pyaar Dilon Ka Mela Hai- Dulhan Hum Le Jaayenge (2000)

This forgettable comedy by David Dhawan has some unforgettable songs. This is one of them. It has been shot lusciously and Salman Khan and Karisma Kapoor scorch the screen with their burning chemistry. What makes it even more difficult to forget is Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik's vocals that do magic to the number. No auto-tunes, no singing by the actors themselves. Good old days!

Main Albeli- Zubeidaa (2001)

Kapoor, at 26, took on a role that could shiver anyone. It shows the journey of a woman from an actress to a wife to a mystery for her son. AR Rahman's haunting music had some gems that linger in mind even two decades later. ‘Main Albeli' is a song Kapoor's eponymous character is shooting for on a film set till her father disrupts the shoot. The film doesn't have the entire number, yet we remember the essence.

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