Kareena Kapoor Khan Starts The Look Vs Actor Debate (Picture Credit: Instagram)
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Kareena Kapoor Khan has recently done a discussion with the best actors of 2023, which included her Jaane Jaan co-star Jaideep Ahlawat, 12th Fail actor Vikrant Massey, Kathal actress Jyothika, Animal actor Bobby Deol among others. One of the major parts of the discussion was the age-old debate of star vs actor.
Kareena Kapoor Khan was asked about how it has been 23 years, and she has been constantly fighting to prove her worth as an actor and prove the fact that she is more than her looks. However, the actress asserted that while she knows that she brings much more to the table than just being a gorgeous woman, it is the industry and the thought process of the filmmakers.
While talking to Anupama Chopra for Film Companions’s Adda 2023, Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “For 23 years anyway, the industry kind of bosses you to just constantly focus on the way you’re looking yeah, but I’ve always tried to break away from the fact that I want to be an actor first, right from my first film. So it’s never about that. Like I’m also confident that I look good but don’t care if my lines are showing because that’s just how I am, and I’m an actor. Can you look beyond that? And that’s always been the challenge for me, and I wanted them to look beyond that. Right from Refugee, it’s always been about wanting to prove myself as an actor. The star part of it was extremely incidental.”
Bobby Deol, who was a part of the conversation couch, immediately jumped into the conversation to steal Bebo’s halo and reveal her true side – the real Kareena of the 2000s. The actor said, “I worked with her when she was a little baby, and her thought process used to be totally different then, but that happens cuz you were so young, you are not mature enough, and neither was I.” However, sensing the conversation turning intense, Bobby Deol immediately lightened up and said she used to love and eat a lot of pizza.
However, when we tried researching old Kareena Kapoor interviews, Bobby Deol’s hint about Kareena’s ‘entirely different’ thought process made much more sense. The time when she actually preferred stardom over content.
So, while she tried taking the high road after she had grown as an actor, here are five times in her initial phase when Bebo had her priorities set straight, and it was not acting, going by what we read!
Not Interested In Reading A Script
During one of her interviews, Bebo in the most bindaas confession, admitted that she does not like reading a script. She falls asleep while reading them, and she is okay with narration. Well, no wonder she rejected films like Fashion, Queen, choosing a Tashan or Agent Vinod!
Too Much Over-Reaction Over A Screen Test
Kareena Kapoor Khan had to screen test for Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, and the whole world knew it that she did it. She felt it was a huge story of a star of her stature to do a screen test, probably. In one of the interviews, she even confessed that it was Saif who made her feel comfortable about screen-testing for the film. However, after this tone-deaf statement, she retracted herself, saying it wasn’t an ego thing, but she was nervous since she had not done it in 22 years!
Not Believing In National Award
So after rejecting Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion, which fetched Priyanka Chopra a National Award, Bebo had to settle down with Bhandarkar’s Heroine. Talking about the National Awards, she said in one of her interviews with Karan Johar, “I don’t want the National Award… I seriously don’t need any such thing. I would only want the audience to go and watch the film once, and that will be more than enough for me!”
Ra.One’s Demands
Ra.One could have been an action bonanza if Kareena would have done some action for the film. But interestingly, she wanted to be a part of the film and demanded the same from Shah Rukh Khan, who was considering Priyanka Chopra of Asin for the role. But Kareena’s demand for the film was minimal acting as an artist – she demanded no action sequences. Yes, you read that right. Bebo demanded an action film where she would not do any action scenes. If you are interested in knowing this story further, you can have a quick elaboration here.
Prioritizing Who Is In The Film
In one of the interviews on Koffee with Karan, Anurag Kashyap took a very brutal dig at Kareena, who refused to be a part of Bombay Velvet. To Kashyap’s claims, Bebo wasn’t interested in knowing what the film was about or the script – the priority for an artist and an actor. Instead, she wanted to know who was in the film.
Well, there are so many more such stories. For instance, Kareena Kapoor wanted Zoya Akhtar to make a film with her as the lead, while she was offered Dil Dhadakne Do, a family film. She has even, many times, boasted about rejecting the highest number of films as if it might be an honor.
But thankfully, while this was the classic Bebo of the 2000s who, as Bobby Deol claimed, was immature, her refined version picking up films like Jaane Jaan and putting her talent at full display is applause-worthy. Way to go, Kareena Kapoor Khan!
PS. Yes, it has been 22 years, and we hope you stay relevant as long as you can!
