Behold the Karishma

Everyone remembers your first film, Prem Qaidi. How did it feel to be in front of the camera for the first time?
The secret is that my first shot was not for Prem Qaidi. It was for this movie called Nishchay and it was between me and Salman (Khan). My second movie was Deedar with Akshay Kumar and Prem Qaidi was my third movie. But it got released first.

I don’t remember my experience as I was very young. I was 16 and just out of school. I vaguely remember that I was very nervous and self-conscious. It was a phase when we were working very hard and doing many things. I used to do 3-4 shifts a day, something that is unheard of today. These days people work in one or two movies a year. That was a very different time.

When did you decide you wanted to act?
When I was 8 or 9 years old, I used to go to my grandfather’s studio and seeing him work fascinated me. I remember that I was on the sets of Ram Teri Ganga Maili and it was a haveli set. I was watching a shot and it occurred to me that I should also do this. My entire family is in the movies and I wanted to carry on the legacy. That was my inspiration.

Was it difficult to go against your family’s wishes and pursue your dreams?
My parents and even my grandfather, were very supportive of my interest in movies as a career. It is a big myth that the Kapoor family doesn’t allow its girls to do movies which I would like to clarify today. My mother and aunt Neetu wanted to settle down. They were top actresses, but they wanted to settle down and have babies and did not wish to work after marriage. It was their choice. My two grand aunts Jennifer Kendal (wife of Shashi Kapoor) and Geeta Bali ji (wife of Shammi Kapoor) worked after marriage because they chose to do so. They were modern enough to make their own decisions. It is out of choice that the later generation opted out of work after marriage. So it is a big myth.

You have done a lot of movies with Govinda. What was it like working with him?
Oh… Don’t ask! I have some really beautiful memories of working with Govinda. We used to have a blast while working together. During the whole No. 1 series, we had such funny incidents happening every day. Working with Govinda doesn’t mean you are working with him; it means you are entertaining yourself. Every day there were pranks and goof-ups happening on the sets. I was a fan of his comic timing, so I would watch him while he would practice his lines.

Why choose Dangerous Ishhq for a comeback vehicle…
It was the script and the role. Since I was doing a film after a long gap, I wanted people to see a different me. I didn’t want to do something like a rom-com which my audience had already seen me doing. Dangerous Ishhq had a different story and a very challenging role which pulled me. I haven’t done such kind of a role earlier.

How important is it for an actress to look glamorous all the time?
I don’t believe in looking glamorous. I believe that one needs to be comfortable in whatever he/she is wearing. Right now, I’m in a simple top and my favourite comfortable jeans. I’m no different when I’m out and about.

You come from what can be referred to as Bollywood’s first family. What is the best advice that you have received in your career? What wisdom would you care to share with Kareena?
The best advice came from my grandfather. He said that their success in the industry doesn’t mean that success will come to me as a gift. I would have to work equally hard to be successful. At the end of the day, my work will speak for me and not my last name. There are no shortcuts to success and this worked not just for me, but for Kareena as well. And, as you can see, she is one of the top actresses today.