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‘Acting is in my blood’

Kareena Kapoor feels she has managed to strike the right balance between commercial and meaningful cinema.

“I enjoy acting. Acting is in my blood, it is in my genes, it is in my DNA and you can see that on screen. I like doing different roles. I can’t do just those films where I am looking pretty and sing and dance around trees. I want to act,” Kareena said.

The actress considers her debut film Refugee (2000) special. Refugee was a very special film because I always wanted to prove myself as an actress and not to be known just as a glam doll. There are films like Refugee, Chameli, Omkara, Jab We Met, 3 Idiots and Kurbaan; they all have been very different.

“I don’t think any other actress has been able to do such a variety of roles. So the journey, I think, has been colourful,” said Kareena.

On teaming up with Kajol again

“I think it’s an exciting challenge to be working with Kajol. In Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gaam we didn’t have too many scenes together, but in this film we are both in the same frame. We both live in the same house, have equally powerful roles; in fact, mine is the most complex and complicated part. It’s very easy to be emotional and gain sympathy but very difficult to win over the sympathy and I hope I could achieve that,” she said.

Kareena plays the role done by Julia Roberts in Stepmum, but in her own style. “I am absolutely honoured that Karan (producer Karan Johar) and Sidharth thought that I could do the Julia Roberts role because to me she is the finest actress,” said the 29-year-old, who feels the adaptation could have been more contemporary. “It’s a very desi film. I think it should have been made more contemporary. Indian audiences are ready for that. It’s about the journey of two women. They start off hating each other and due to unforeseen circumstances they end up loving each other.”

While working with Kajol, Kareena observed that her co-star was quite similar to her sister Karisma when it comes to their children. “Kajol is a hands-on mother. I have seen Karisma. Both Kajol and Karisma, I don’t know if it’s the trait of that generation, are just there with their children,” said Kareena.

Asked how it would have been if Karisma had played Kajol’s role, she quipped, “She can’t do that because we can’t marry the same man! No way.”

There are three child stars - Aanchal Munjal, Nominath Ginsburg and Diya Sonecha - in the film, but Kareena didn’t have to handle them. She is all praise for their professional behaviour on the sets though. “In the film, I didn’t have to be with the kids because they had their mother (Kajol). The children were really lovely, they didn’t get impatient. They were acting like adults, not like children,” said Kareena.