She next co-starred in Mani Ratnam's bilingual project Yuva alongside Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji and Esha Deol. The film, consisting of three chapters, tells the story of six individuals linked by a car accident. Kapoor is featured in the third chapter as Oberoi's love interest, Mira, a young witty woman. She was mostly criticised for taking a role of minimal importance, though her performance was generally well-received.[39] Subhash K Jha described her role as "fey and insubstantial", but further stated that "she turns these character traits to her own advantage to create a girl who is at once enigmatic and all-there, a bit like the film itself which is both mysterious and voluptuous".[40] She then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, which revolved around the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in the Indian state of Gujarat.[41] Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case.[41] It earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, as well as nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies.[4] Taran Adarsh commented, "Kareena Kapoor is first-rate. Sporting a deglamorized look, the actress takes a giant leap with this film. Her scene with Amitabh Bachchan (when the latter asks for witnesses to come forward) is an example of superb acting.Shortly afterwards, she was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller Fida. The film follows the story of an on-line robbery and the Mumbai underworld with which her character Neha Mehra becomes involved. During the filming of Fida, Kapoor entered into a relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life."[43] Although the film did not succeed at the box office,[44] Kapoor garnered positive reviews for her performance, with some critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles.[45] Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's moderately successful thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.In 2005, she starred as the protagonist in Bewafaa, a drama directed by Dharmesh Darshan. The feature received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor's portrayal of Anjali Sahai, an unfaithful woman, was not well-received.[46] Nikhat Kazmi of Indiatimes believed that in an effort to become a serious actress, Kapoor was embodying a maturer, more jaded character ahead of her years in Bewafaa which appeared peculiar for a young woman of her age.[46] Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki, which was set in a psychiatric hospital, and relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure,[47] though Kapoor's performance was generally enjoyed by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting."[48] Kapoor then was cast in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever. While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.[49]Kareena is an apt Desdemona to Ajay Devgn's Othello. As young Dolly who elopes with a man she is madly in love with and ultimately becomes a victim of his violent jealousy, Kareena is brilliant. Her vulnerability is palpable, her expression of love endearing [...] Kareena internalises her character with stupefying intelligence and throws up a performance that leaves you overwhelmed. And she makes it look so effortless."Filmfare on Kapoor's performance in Omkara (2006)[50]In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well.[51] She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh.[52] The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival.[52][53] Omkara was embraced by critics and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award;[4] her performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare.[50] Kapoor herself considers her role in Omkara as a "new benchmark" in her career and has made comparisons between her portrayal of Dolly and her own evolving maturity as a woman.[54]Following Omkara, she stopped acting for a short time, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes".[54] In an interview with The Times of India, Kapoor commented, "In my initial years in the industry, I pushed myself to do a lot of work because I was greedy. I did some films – which I now regret – purely for the money. Today, I want to do selective films."[55] She later described this period as a way to "relax and unwind" herself.[56]Jab We Met and other works (2007–present)Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life, in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007). Featured opposite Shahid Kapoor, the film relates the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, with a domestic box office of Indian rupee303 million (US$ 6.88 million).[57] She won several awards for her performance, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress.[4] Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN noted, "Uninhibited and spontaneous, Kareena Kapoor is the soul of this picture, its biggest strength, as she brings alive her character with not just those smart lines, but with the kind of candor actors seldom invest in their work."[58] While shooting for Jab We Met, Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship.[59] Asked in Mumbai Mirror about their well-publicized break-up, she stated that "I hold him in utmost regard, and I hope one day we could be good friends. He is a great guy."[21] During this period, speculation began to surface that she was dating actor Saif Ali Khan, her co-star in the film Tashan (2008).[59] On October 18, 2007, during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media.[59] profile, from the waist up, of a young Indian woman smiling. Her black hair comes up to her chest and is parted in the middle with a braid on each side. She is wearing a white and black topKapoor earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role as Geet Dhillon in Jab We Met (2007), opposite Shahid KapoorIn 2008, she co-starred alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action-thriller Tashan. Though a poll conducted by Bollywood Hungama named it as the most anticipated release of the year,[60] the film eventually became a commercial and critical failure.[61][62] She next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio.[63] In preparation for the role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues.[64] Kapoor then appeared in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received ambivalent reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express believed the screenplay was unoriginal, concluding, "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Kareena plays it."[65] Golmaal Returns was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of Indian rupee793 million (US$ 18 million) internationally.[32]In 2009, Kapoor was cast as Simrita Rai opposite Akshay Kumar in Sabbir Khan's battle of the sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, California, it became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California, and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors.[66] The film earned over Indian rupee840 million (US$ 19.07 million) worldwide, but was a critical failure.[32] The Times of India described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "despite her haute-coutured look, her micro minis, her pencil heels, she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon."[67] She next starred in Prem Soni's directorial debut, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna. Kapoor featured as the protagonist, Raina Khanna, a woman who becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, and therefore struggles with her marriage. The film was critically and financially unsuccessful,[68] with the Daily News and Analysis concluding that "Kapoor shows moments of the talent we associate with her, but then slumps with a silly drunken scene or by just smiling beatifically through emotional moments."[69]Following Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Kapoor's next release was Kurbaan, a dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of global terrorism.[70] It was directed by Rensil D'Silva and written by Karan Johar, co-starring Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri and Kirron Kher. Kapoor played the role of Avantika Ahuja, a woman who is confined to house arrest after finding out that her husband is a terrorist. She described the film as "an emotionally draining experience", which did not let her disconnect from her character during shooting.[70] Upon release, the film was critically embraced and Kapoor received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination.[4] According to Subhash K Jha, "Kurbaan belongs to Kareena Kapoor. In her most consistently-pitched performance to date she pulls out all stops to play a betrayed wife with splendid sensitivity. Kareena accommodates her radiant beauty into an utterly credible character and performance. At her best, Kareena is incomparable. She proves it in Kurbaan."[71]
Her final release of 2009 was Rajkumar Hirani's drama 3 Idiots, a film loosely based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat.[72] Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, Kapoor starred as Pia, an independent-minded medical student and Khan's love interest. On acting alongside Khan, Kapoor revealed that it was "a dream come true" and further stated that her journey as an actress was "finally complete".[73] The feature was a major financial and critical success and became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, with a domestic revenue of Indian rupee2,026 million (US$ 45.99 million).[12] It also did well internationally and grossed over Indian rupee690 million (US$ 15.66 million), the second biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market.[7][74] Rediff.com opined that Kapoor dazzled with her "brief role, and even though a lot of her spunk seems significantly Jab We Met in tone, she lights up the screen when she is around."[75] During the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received another Best Actress nomination for her role.[4]The following year, she appeared in the romantic comedy Milenge Milenge, a production that had been delayed since 2005.[76] The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Kapoor's role was small and was not well-received.[76] She next featured alongside Kajol and Arjun Rampal in We Are Family, the Hindi adaptation of the 1998 Hollywood release Stepmom.[77] Prior on commencing work for the project, Kapoor explained that she did not want to watch Stepmom in an attempt to "interpret the role...in my own style".[77] Reaction to the film was mostly lukewarm, but Kapoor's performance drew positive reviews; critic Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote: "Kareena excels yet again and her sequences with the kids are a delight. In fact, casting Kareena as the stepmom is just right, since she is the only actor who can stand up to Kajol in high-voltage scenes and that is because Kareena is a powerful actor herself."[78] At the same time, The New York Times noted that "Kapoor [...] manages to make something of a role that often beggars belief."[79]By June 2010, Kapoor completed filming for Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal 3, the sequel to the 2008 film Golmaal Returns.[80] She was cast as the lead in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction Ra.One and Sriram Raghavan's action-thriller Agent Vinod.[80]
Hailing from a family deeply involved in the Bollywood film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000.[17] As a child, Kapoor regularly attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming.[3] In an interview with Filmfare, she said that growing up in a film family helped her develop a sense of professionalism towards her work and remain grounded as a human being.[103] Kapoor's off-screen life has been subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her weight and diet.[9] She also created headlines with her much publicized breakup with Shahid Kapoor and her subsequent relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan.[59] Often referred to as India's "Brangelina" ("Saifeena") by the press,[104] her relationship with Khan has become one of the most reported celebrity stories in India since 2007.[9][13] In recent years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor has developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and has gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press with no reservations.[6][9]As one of her most distinctive physical features, Kapoor's lips have been cited by the Indian media as her trademark.[105] Her off-screen image has been open to much debate and criticism. While a section of the press has described her as friendly and extremely close to her family,[3] others have described her as arrogant and vain, an image she gained following the portrayal of her character "Poo" in the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001).[106] She subsequently went on to play similar type of characters in her films from 2002–03, which further established her off-screen as well as her on-screen image as an actress.[1] Prior to the release of her 2004 film, Chameli, in which she played the role of a sex worker, Kapoor stated that, "there is a certain image that people identify you with. It always follows you whichever role you play. I am trying to transgress this image and become more screen-friendly than image-friendly."[107] Following the release of Chameli, which helped her gain a new on-screen image,[8] Kapoor was asked about her off-screen image. During an interview, she explained that as a child she was always taught to be self-confident, a trait she says was often misunderstood by the media for her arrogance.[108]On the far left, a young woman with dark brown hair is clad in a white top. She is standing beside a man who is wearing a brown jacket and has black hair. Another man with similar black hair is clad in a black jacket and appears on the far right.
Kapoor along with Khan and designer Manish Malhotra at the 2009 India Couture Week
In 2004, Kapoor appeared third on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars".[109] She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007.[110][111][112] She has been featured frequently on other Rediff lists, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses",[105] "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women"[113] and "Women of Many Faces".[114] During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji,[115] whilst she later appeared along with Shahid Kapoor and her sister Karisma in 2007.[43] In 2006, she was chosen to model and walk the runway for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the Fashion Week 2006, along with actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar.[116] Three years later, Kapoor once again walked the runway for Malhotra's bridal collection titled Destination Wedding during the 2009 India Couture Week.[117]Today, Kapoor is considered as one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India.[118][119] Her look and performances have established her as a style icon for young girls and women.[19][120] In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper DNA, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons.[121] According to the UK magazine Eastern Eye, Kapoor was ranked fourth in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2009;[122] she had been previously ranked eighth in 2007 and third in 2008.[123][124] She became the only actress to be featured on CNNGo's list of "Who Mattered Most in India"[125] and was described as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by People in 2010.[126] In July 2010, Kapoor was placed eighth in Filmfare Magazine's annual power list, an achievement she repeatKapoor has been part of several stage shows and world tours since 2002. Her first world tour, the Heartthrobs: Live in Concert, was successfully performed across the United States and Canada alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani.[81] At the end of the year, she performed alongside several Bollywood stars at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, for the show Now or Never.[82] Four years later, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The concert was showcased in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and went on to become a success.[83] In 2008, Kapoor participated in Shahrukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands.[84] Several months later, she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena.Humanitarian worDuring her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit,[86] while in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert, to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[87] Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team.[88] The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of Indian rupee5,000,000 (US$ 113,500) from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra.[89] In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Indian rupee5,000,000 (US$ 113,500) winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home.[90] In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Indian rupee1,000,000 (US$ 22,700) from 10 Ka Dum to the old age home.[91At the end of 2009, Kapoor joined the efforts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to create awareness about cleanliness. The project consisted of a group of individuals who would be responsible for interacting with the shopkeepers and residents of Nehru Nagar, to support a door-to-door campaign for the collection of garbage.[92] The following year, Kapoor attended the NDTV Greenathon, where she adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide them with electricity.[93] While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. She said, "You want to live in an environment that is clean [and] healthy, and especially now everything affects the society so much. Actors have a voice, which can be heard and I am really happy that Priyanka [Chopra] has taken this iniative of being a brand ambassador. When our voice can be heard, we should use it and I am really happy that we all are spreading this awareness.Clothing linIn August 2007, Kapoor replaced actress Soha Ali Khan, when she was hired as the brand ambassador for the clothing chain Globus on a two-year contract.[95] Vinay Nadkarni, CEO of Globus Stores Pvt Ltd, explained that in an attempt to move away from being a multi-branded retail chain to adopting a single brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different brand ambassador for its new business ventures.[96] On being appointed by Globus, Kapoor commented, "I am delighted to be the face of Globus [...] I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation".[95] Since her start, it was reported that the brand had experienced a 75 percent increase in sales.[97In February 2008, Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, thus becoming the first Indian actress to do so.[98] She said, "I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for".[98] Kapoor further stated that she would also be involved in the planning and designing process of the clothing as well.[98] Her clothing line debuted several months later in stores across India and was well-received by the public.Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kapoor expressed her desire of working with an international design house from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in France, to release her clothing line internationally.[100] In January 2010, she explained that "I have the plans in place [and] I just have to execute them".[101] However, Kapoor later noted that due to her prior commitments, her "plans [...] have had to take a
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