Kareena Kapoor Khan: Stardom has overshadowed the actor that I am

Kareena Kapoor Khan

Her star has always shone bright. But Kareena Kapoor Khan does not mince words when she says superstardom comes with its own pitfalls. "That [her stardom] has overshadowed the actor that I am," she begins, when we sit down to chat with her in the living room of her Bandra apartment, which is adorned with gorgeous pictures of husband Saif Ali Khan and her vacationing in Gstaad.

To make her case, the actor points out how she, at 22, had sid on Chameli (2003) when women-led films were few and far between. But her career risks are often forgotten amidst the hero-led box-office blockbusters that she has been part of. "I started the trend of headlining films long ago. People are talking about it now because there is more focus on women's voice in Bollywood. Many actresses would have turned down Veere Di Wedding [2018] because no one wants to talk about periods, or lack of orgasm [being grounds for] divorce. The film was path-breaking because we established that there's an alternative to bro-code."

A still from Good Newwz

She is proud to have ruled the industry for two decades, especially since it is notorious for short shelf life of female actors. "That's because I am a filmy child who knows what entertainment is. People have assumed I am a diva, but I loathe the word now. My PR [game] is not strong; there's zero strategy behind who I am. I have never bothered about projecting myself as a serious actor. I am happy when my fans are happy and my film is a success. Then, I whisk off on a holiday."

Coming up next is Good Newwz with Akshay Kumar. Quiz her if the maternal instinct made her sign the film revolving around in vitro fertilisation, and she says, "It was a hoot of a narration. Since I am doing fewer films, I want people to be excited about my projects. I was the first one to sign the film."

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