A public person is a bit like a label on a jar. You can label a jar poison, but it could turn out to contain sugar. Or vice versa. Karisma Kapoor, "Lolo," to her family and purveyors of the nation's media - is a case in point - a public persona of being a bit of a snob, an unfriendly sort, but when you meet her she turns out to be exactly the opposite. Interviewing her is a bit like bungee jumping - you plunge, heart in your mouth, and get a great thrill. Karisma has a habit of putting you at complete ease.
She's young and perhaps that is why that despite being written off time and again, she's always had the last laugh because of her hard work (so many releases being such major box office hits). And along the way, she also gave credence to her professionalism - more releases in 1997 than any of her peers was all the proof anyone could want. Films like "Jeet," "Raja Hindustani," and "Dil To Paagal Hai" were not only hits but also saw the transformation of Karisma as a true blood performer. She values this success, but it hasn't gone to her head-probably because it has come under very difficult circumstances.
It was not easy for her to establish herself. For anyone else, yes, but for her. It was
always the proverbial microscope as people had too many expectations from her as a Kapoor, the first family of Indain cinema. So while others were allowed to learn the ropes in the due time process any newcomer is allowed, she didn't get any such leniency. Criticism was constant but she rode it all out, and it has finally paid off. Her all recent films have seen a new facet of Karisma, the actress. "Jeet" was a triangular
love story , where the characters of both Sunny Deol and Salman Khan had to contend with not only their love for the character played by Karisma, but also bow down to a superlative performance. "Raja Hindustani" had her go through varied nuances, from a young lover girl, to a seperated wife and mother. "Dil To Paagal Hai" had perhaps her best performance, a protagonist who lost her love , but in the process won the audience's hearts.
Karisma joined this industry at a very young age of 17 with "Prem Qaidi," a formulaic successful potboiler, and straightaway established herself in the top echelons of the acting strata. "Prem Qaidi" was tailor-made for a newcomer, where the angst of a young first time lover came through. Another breakthrough role was the one she essayed in "Anari." This deglamourised role of a simple village belle enabled her to change her image of being very western looking, besides silencing her critics about her acting abilities. "Being an actress was a passion, it was never relevent or important to become a star. I was passionate about becoming an actress, and I think it shows on screen" says Karisma. "You have to be determined and have some amount of ambition to succeed, but I don't think I am overly ambitious. I won't do anything and everything to become "number one," in fact it is scary to have people come up and say, "You have the three biggest hits of '96, are you No. 1 ?" I would rather not get into these things, rather be known as a top actress, that's all" says Karisma. Her statement is even more relevent in context of her selection of the wide
array of characters she has chosen to portray.
With her busy schedule she yet finds time to read, swim, and watch old black and white films, a penchant she has inherited from late Shri Raj Kapoor, her beloved grandfather, and perhaps, the greatest showman of Hindi film industry.
In her brief illustrious career, Karisma has already won a horde of awards. These include the Filmfare Best Actress award in 1996 for "Raja Hindustani," the Lux Zee Cine Best Supporting Actress award in 1997 for "Dil To Paagal Hai" and the National Best Supporting Actress award in 1997 for "Dil To Paagal Hai." And as the denizens of the film industry repeatedly say, her best is yet to come.Afer the impressive "Zubeida",and "Fiza" if there is still better
