Born in: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Nationality: Indian
Career: Actress
Nickname: Lolo
Karishma Kapoor is one of the members of the legendary ‘Kapoor’ family of Bollywood, who has managed to carve out a niche for herself in the film industry. A National Film Award-winning actress, she debuted in the Hindi film industry in 1991, with the movie ‘Prem Qaidi’. From then onwards, she went on to become a part of many commercially and critically successful films, such as ‘Raja Hindustani’, ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’, ‘Biwi No.1’, ‘Fiza’ and ‘Zubeida’. She has starred in as many as 65 films till date and is expected to take the present number to much higher levels.
Childhood and Early Life
Karishma Kapoor was born on 25th June 1974, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She has been born in the well-known ‘Kapoor’ family of Bollywood and is the daughter of film actors Babita and Randhir Kapoor. She has the late Raj Kapoor as her grandfather and Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor as her uncles. Nicknamed Lolo, Karishma has one sister - Kareena Kapoor, who is also an actress. She did her schooling at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai until grade six. She joined "Sophi College for FYJC" in Arts, for graduation, but quit midway only.
Career
Karsihma Kapoor made her debut in Bollywood in 1991, with the movie ‘Prem Qaidi’. The film paired her opposite actor Harish and was moderately successful. Thereafter, she went on to do a large number of movies in the next five years. Amongst them, the most successful ones were ‘Jigar’ (1992), ‘Anari’ (1993), ‘Raja Babu’ (1994), ‘Coolie No. 1’ (1995), ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’ (1996) and ‘Jeet’ (1996). In 1996, she was seen in Dharmesh Darshan's ‘Raja Hindustani’, opposite Aamir Khan.
‘Raja Hindustani’ served to be the first major movie in the career of Karishma and also won her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award. She carried on the success of the film to next year also, when she was seen in Yash Chopra's romantic drama ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ (DTPH), along with Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit. DTPH went on to become one of the most successful films of the year and also won her Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, along with National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1998, Karishma took a brief sabbatical from work and did not appear in any film. The next year, she was seen in as many as four hit movies, including David Dhawan's comedies ‘Biwi No.1’ and ‘Haseena Maan Jaayegi’, Rajshri Productions’ ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United’ and Suneel Darshan’s ‘Jaanwar’. The year 2000 saw her playing the lead role in Khalid Mohammed's ‘Fiza’, which won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award. She repeated the success next year with her performance in ‘Zubeidaa’.
With ‘Zubeidaa’, Karishma bagged Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Success was to continue in her career and she acted in ‘Shakti - The Power’ in 2002, getting the honor of receiving many nominations in the Best Actress category. In 2003, she entered the world of television, with the serial ‘Karishma: A Miracle of Destiny’. The same year, she was also seen in ‘Baaz: A Bird In Danger’. Thereafter, she took another sabbatical from glamour world, this time for three years. Karishma was last seen in Mere Jeevan Saathi, in 2006, and Om Shanti Om (special appearance), in 2007.
Personal Life
Throughout her career, Karishma Kapoor was linked only twice - once, with Ajay Devgan and the second time, with Abhishek Bachchan. In the latter case, she even announced her engagement with Abhishek in October 2002, on the 60th birthday of Amitabh Bachchan. However, the couple split four months later, in February 2003. Karishma married industrialist Sanjay Kapur, CEO of Sixt India, on 29th September 2003 and has a daughter Samaira, born on 11th March 2005. Though the couple underwent great stress after the birth of their daughter, they have subsequently patched-up.
Awards
1997 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Raja Hindustani
1998 - Silver Lotus Award (National Film Awards), Best Supporting Actress for Dil To Pagal Hai
1998 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Dil To Pagal Hai
1998 - Zee Cine Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Female for Dil To Pagal Hai
2001 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Fiza
2001 - Zee Premiere Choice- Female for Fiza
2001 - Bollywood Movie Award - Best Actress for Fiza
2001 - IIFA Best Actress Award for Fiza
2001 - Best Actress (Hindi Movies) for Fiza
2002 - Best Actress (critics) for Zubeidaa
2003 - Bollywood Movie Award - Most Sensational Actress for Shakti: The Power
Filmography
1991 Prem Qaidi
1992 Police Officer, Jaagruti, Nishchaiy, Sapne Sajan Ke, Deedar, Jigar
1993 Anari, Muqabla, Sangram, Shaktiman, Dhanwaan
1994 Prem Shakti, Raja Babu, Dulaara, Khuddar, Andaz, Andaz Apna Apna, Yeh Dillagi, Aatish: Feel the Fire, Suhaag, Gopi Kishan
1995 Jawab, Maidan-E-Jung, Coolie No. 1
1996 Papi Gudia, Megha, Saajan Chale Sasural, Krishna, Jeet, Bal Bramhachari, Sapoot, Raja Hindustani, Rakshak, Ajay
1997 Judwaa, Hero No. 1, Lahu Ke Do Rang, Mrityudaata, Dil To Pagal Hai
1999 Silsila Hai Pyar Ka, Biwi No.1, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United, Jaanwar
2000 Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Chal Mere Bhai, Hum To Mohabbat Karega, Fiza, Shikari
2001 Zubeidaa, Aashiq, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love
2002 Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya, Shakti, Rishtey, Karishma: A Miracle of Destiny
2003 Baaz: A Bird in Danger
2006 Mere Jeevan Saathi
2007 Om Shanti Om (Special appearance)