Kapoor, the daughter of actorAnil Kapoor, began her career as an assistant director on filmmakerSanjay Leela Bhansali's 2005 filmBlack. She made her acting debut in Bhansali's romantic dramaSaawariya (2007), a box office flop, and had her first commercial success with the romantic comedyI Hate Luv Storys (2010). This was followed by a series of commercial failures and repetitive roles, which garnered her negative reviews. The 2013 box office hitRaanjhanaa marked a turning point in Kapoor's career, garnering her praise and Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies.
Kapoor supports the raising awareness ofbreast cancer andLGBT rights. Known in the media for her outspoken personality, Kapoor is often a subject of social media trolling. She is married to the businessman Anand Ahuja, with whom she has a son.
Early life and background
Kapoor with her fatherAnil Kapoor at a film's screening inMumbai, 2011
The family moved to the suburb of Juhu when Kapoor was one month old.[12] She was educated at the Arya Vidya Mandir school inJuhu,[13] where she confessed to being a "naughty" and "carefree" child who would bully the boys.[14] She excelled at sports such asrugby andbasketball,[15] and trained inKathak,classical music andLatin dance.[16] Kapoor, who practicesHinduism, states that she is "quite religious", and that it is a way of "reminding myself that I need to be thankful for so much".[17]
Kapoor's first job was as a waitress at age 15, although it lasted only a week.[18][19] As a teenager, she struggled with her weight: "I had every issue related to weight that I could have. I was unhealthy, I had bad skin, and I had hair growing on my face!"[20][21] Kapoor was diagnosed withinsulin resistance andpolycystic ovarian disease,[20] and has since begun an initiative to increase awareness ofdiabetes.[22] Kapoor enrolled at theUnited World College of South East Asia in Singapore for her pre-university education, where she studied theatre and arts.[12] She has said she later started courses in economics and political science throughUniversity of Mumbai correspondence programme, after returning fromUniversity of East London where she began her bachelor's degree in the same subjects but returned to Mumbai soon after she began.[23][24] ActressRani Mukerji, a family friend, visited her family in Singapore on holiday while working onBlack (2005). Kapoor, who had originally wanted to be a director and writer,[12] expressed a desire to work as a crew member on the film. On her father's recommendation to directorSanjay Leela Bhansali, she was appointed as his assistant.[24][25]
Life and career
Early work and struggles (2007–2012)
During the production ofBlack, Kapoor developed an interest in acting when Bhansali professed that he wanted to cast her in the lead in his next film,Saawariya. She was advised to lose weight; at the time, she weighed about 80 kilograms (180 lb).[26] Motivated by Bhansali's confidence in her, she lost 35 kilograms (77 lb) in two years.[20][26][27] Kapoor studied acting withRoshan Taneja, Jayati Bhatia andFeroz Abbas Khan,[12] and has cited actressesWaheeda Rehman andNutan as influences, admiring their "path-breaking films ... [and] quality of doing different things".[28]
Released in 2007,Saawariya saw Kapoor play a Muslim woman awaiting the return of her lover opposite Mukerji,Ranbir Kapoor andSalman Khan.[29] It was the first Indian feature film produced by a Hollywood studio,Sony Pictures Entertainment.[30]Saawariya proved to be a major critical and commercial failure.[31][32] Writing forBBC, Jaspreet Pandohar called the film a "misfire-on-a-massive-scale".[33]Raja Sen ofRediff.com described her laugh as "almost as infectious as her father's", but wished that she had been "allowed to simper softly, instead of having a clearly overdubbed plastic giggle plastered onto her."[34] The film earned her aFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut nomination and theStardust Award for Superstar of Tomorrow – Female.[3][35]
In 2009, Kapoor played an aspiring singer opposite Waheeda Rehman andAbhishek Bachchan in theRakeysh Omprakash Mehra-directed social dramaDelhi-6. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office failure.[36][37]CNN-IBN'sRajeev Masand referred to Kapoor as a "revelation", writing that she was "a firecracker, instinctive and uninhibited in what isn't even a conventional female lead".[38] Sonia Chopra ofSify described Kapoor as an "earnest and effortless performer", and found her character likeable, despite the "typical Delhi-girl recipe".[39]
Kapoor's first release in 2010 wasPunit Malhotra's romantic comedyI Hate Luv Storys, oppositeImran Khan. She played an engaged woman who develops a one-sided attraction to her commitment-phobic co-worker. Khan said about Kapoor's craft, "We'd be shooting a scene from multiple angles—for three or four hours you're doing the same scene, the same lines—and here is this person [Kapoor] who brings consistency to her work, from the way she talks, to her accent."[40] Although Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express called Kapoor's performance "stiff and rehearsed",Daily News and Analysis' Johnson Thomas found her "likeable and believable".[41][42]I Hate Luv Storys was Kapoor's first commercial success, earning₹725.2 million (US$8.3 million) worldwide.[43][44][45]
Kapoor next played the eponymous role inAisha, an ensemble romantic comedy-drama based onJane Austen's novelEmma, which was produced by her sister Rhea. She described her character as "a meddlesome busybody with a passion for matchmaking and playingCupid".[46][47]Aisha also starredAbhay Deol,Ira Dubey,Cyrus Sahukar,Amrita Puri,Anand Tiwari,Arunoday Singh andLisa Haydon. AnIndo-Asian News Service reviewer thought that Kapoor had stood out in the ensemble with her performance, making "the best of a rather rare opportunity for an Indian leading lady to be part of a Bollywood film that salutes Victorian mores and Delhi's elitist affectations in one clean cool sweep".[48]
In 2011, Kapoor starred inThank You, a comedy about three women who teach a lesson to their philandering husbands. The film, along with Kapoor's performance, received poor reviews;[49]Nikhat Kazmi ofThe Times of India called her "terribly out of sync".[50] She then played the romantic interest ofShahid Kapoor in thePankaj Kapur-directed romantic drama,Mausam, which was also poorly received.[51] Despite doubts about her acting ability, critic Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV thought Kapoor conveyed "the essential vulnerability of a girl forever under duress, bringing out just the right mix of feminine fragility and native resolve".[52] The following year, Kapoor played a computer hacker opposite Abhishek Bachchan,Neil Nitin Mukesh andBipasha Basu in theAbbas–Mustan-directed heist film,Players, a remake of 2003'sThe Italian Job. Her role was originally written forKatrina Kaif, who was unavailable for the film.[53] Although journalists had high expectations, it failed commercially,[54][55] and Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com remarked derogatively that Kapoor "truly entertains with her childish attempt to pass off as a gold-medalist hacker".[56] Kapoor's string of poorly received films began to hinder her career.[57][58]
Breakthrough (2013–2015)
Kapoor's role in theAnand L. Rai-directed romantic dramaRaanjhanaa (2013) marked a turning point in her career;[59] Geety Sahgal called it her best performance to date inThe Indian Express.[60] Kapoor's role was that of Zoya Haider, a youngMuslim student fromVaranasi who is drawn into politics after the murder of herSikh lover. To prepare for her part, Kapoor interacted with students, attended workshops and practised with theatre groups associated withJawaharlal Nehru University.[61][62] She also studiedJaya Bachchan's work inGuddi (1971), which she felt was "perfect" for her role.[13] Discussing her character in the film, Kapoor described her approach to acting: "I have always tried to do different films and ... I try to be different for every character. I like doing different things to challenge myself in every way and don't like to repeat myself."[63] AlthoughRaanjhanaa received mixed-to-positive reviews, her performance was praised;[64] Rajeev Masand wrote that she "does some of her best work here, going smoothly from innocent to manipulative to cynical, without ever losing Zoya's inherent vulnerability".[65] With worldwide earnings of over₹1 billion (US$11 million),Raanjhanaa was a commercial success[66] and Kapoor received her first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress.[67]
Kapoor followed the success ofRaanjhanaa with a brief appearance inBhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), abiopic on athleteMilkha Singh. She received₹11 (13¢ US) for the film, made on a budget of₹300 million (US$3.4 million), citing her admiration for director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and the film itself as reasons for her appearance.[68][69] Critically praised,[70]Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was one of the top-grossing Bollywood films of the year.[71][72] Critic Sarita A. Tanwar wrote in her review that despite her minor role, Kapoor proved to "be the perfect warm counterpart to Milkha".[73] BothRaanjhanaa andBhaag Milkha Bhaag receivedFilmfare Award for Best Film nominations, the latter of which won.[67][74]
In 2014, Kapoor portrayed the banker Mayera Sehgal oppositeAyushmann Khurrana andRishi Kapoor in theYash Raj Films comedy-dramaBewakoofiyaan, in a role which film criticAnupama Chopra found to be poorly written and an "uphill climb".[75] She next starred withFawad Khan in the romantic comedyKhoobsurat, an adaptation of the1980 film of the same name, playing the role which had originally been given toRekha. Though she received a Filmfare Best Actress nomination for her performance,[76] critics were divided in their response, with Shilpa Jamkhandikar ofReuters calling her "loud and exasperating",[77] and Andy Webster ofThe New York Times comparing her to a youngAnne Hathaway and highlighting her "Julia Roberts-like smile".[78] Later that year, she met entrepreneur-model Sahir Berry on a social media network, and began a romantic relationship with him, although they broke up a few months later.[79][80]
In 2015, Kapoor starred as a runaway bride inDolly Ki Doli, a heist comedy co-starringPulkit Samrat,Rajkummar Rao andVarun Sharma.[81]Mint's Udita Jhunjhunwala criticised Kapoor's performance in the film, writing that her "range is too limited to bring alive a character that may have had heaps of potential on paper".[82] Shubhra Gupta wrote: "Kapoor is in almost every frame, and should have filled them all. But the treatment of the character shows up her limitations."[83] Despite the negative reviews for her performance, she was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[84] While filmingSooraj R. Barjatya'sPrem Ratan Dhan Payo withSalman Khan inGondal,Gujarat in February 2015, Kapoor was diagnosed withswine influenza, from which she recovered the following month.[85][86][87] Kapoor portrayed Rajkumari Maithili Devi, a princess looking for love. The film became one of thehighest-grossing Bollywood films of all time.[88] She was praised by Rachit Gupta for her credibility as a royal,[89] andKomal Nahta thought that the role was significant enough to be a turning point in her career.[90] However, she won aGolden Kela Award for Worst Actress.[91]
Following an appearance in the music video ofColdplay's "Hymn for the Weekend" (featuringBeyoncé),[92] Kapoor starred inRam Madhvani's biographical thrillerNeerja (2016). She was cast as the eponymous air hostessNeerja Bhanot, who died while saving the passengers of the hijackedPan Am Flight 73 in 1986.[93] Kapoor felt responsible towards the project because it is about real events, and met Bhanot's family as a preparation for her role.[94] The film garnered high critical acclaim, and several commentators considered Kapoor's performance to be her best to date.[95][96][97] Raja Sen found her performance to be career-defining, whileHindustan Times' Rohit Vats wrote that "she carries [the film] entirely on her shoulder. She looks earnest, scared, benevolent and bold, all at the same time."[98][99] Sen listed Kapoor as the best actress in Hindi cinema in 2016,[100] while Rajeev Masand invited her to his annual best actresses roundtable.[101] In addition to several other accolades, Kapoor won aNational Film Award – Special Mention and aFilmfare Best Actress (Critics), in addition to aFilmfare Best Actress nomination.[102][103] With a worldwide gross over₹1.35 billion (US$15 million),Neerja emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films featuring a female protagonist.[104][105]
After a two-year absence from the screen, Kapoor played a social worker inR. Balki's comedy-dramaPad Man (2018), based on a short story inTwinkle Khanna's bookThe Legend of Lakshmi Prasad. Co-starringAkshay Kumar andRadhika Apte, the film is inspired by the life ofArunachalam Muruganantham, who campaigned for menstrual hygiene in rural India.[106] Kapoor said that the length of the role is of little importance to her as long as the film has "relevance beyond just having a good time at the movies". She liked featuring in a film that addresses important social issues and is about something more than just entertainment.[107] Although finding her role to be "largely superfluous", Saibal Chatterjee wrote that Kapoor "makes the most of the limited opportunity";[108]Anna M. M. Vetticad ofFirstpost commended her screen presence but disliked a romantic subplot involving her and Kumar, criticising the chemistry and age-gap between them.[109]
On 8 May 2018, Kapoor married Indian businessman Anand Ahuja in a traditional Sikh ceremony inBandra,Mumbai.[110] The following month, she featured inShashanka Ghosh'sVeere Di Wedding, afemale buddy film co-starringKareena Kapoor,Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania. Namrita Joshi ofThe Hindu found the film formulaic and clichéd, while Sweta Kaushal ofHindustan Times thought the film had "style but no soul" and was partly impressed with Kapoor's performance.[111][112] With earnings of over₹1.34 billion (US$15 million), the film proved to her second top-grossing Hindi film not featuring a well-known male star.[113][114] Later that month, Kapoor featured inRajkumar Hirani's biopic ofBollywood actorSanjay Dutt, entitledSanju, as one of Dutt's love interests. Kapoor said that despite her brief role, she agreed to the project to work with Hirani and to reunite with Ranbir Kapoor after her debut.[115] Anna M. M. Vetticad criticised the film's attempt to whitewash Dutt's misdeeds, but found Kapoor's portrayal of her small role "sweet".[116] On the other hand, Rajeev Masand called the film "consistently engaging", and wrote that Kapoor "hit the right notes as Sanjay Dutt's [partner]".[117]Sanju broke several box-office records, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films.[118]
Career fluctuations and hiatus (2019–2023)
In 2019, Kapoor starred in the coming-of-age filmEk Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (as Sonam K Ahuja), co-starring her father,Juhi Chawla, and Rajkummar Rao.[119] She played a closeted lesbian who has trouble coming out to her conservative family. She agreed to the project to break stereotypes about same-sex relationships in India.[120] Critics were encouraging of its positive representation of homosexuality, but it failed to do well commercially.[121][122] Kapoor next starred inAbhishek Sharma'sfilm adaptation ofAnuja Chauhan's romantic comedy novelThe Zoya Factor, in which she played the titular character of a clumsy woman who becomes a lucky charm for the Indian cricket team.[123] Ankur Pathak ofHuffPost was appreciative of her comic timing but bemoaned that "she's out of depth in scenes that require her to exhibit more emotion".[124]
In August 2022, Kapoor gave birth to a son.[125] She has since said, "I will try to do the best I can as a mother, which means that acting will definitely take a backseat, but I don't think I will ever stop working completely".[126] A thriller she had shot for in Scotland in 2020, namedBlind, a remake of the2011 Korean film of the same name, marked her acting comeback.[127] It released digitally onJioCinema in July 2023.[128] Shubhra Gupta dismissed her performance as "wholly ineffective" in a "deadly dull film".[129]
In the media
Kapoor in 2017
Born into a prominent actor family, Kapoor has appeared in the media from an early age,[130] and is one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood.[131] After the success ofRaanjhanaa andBhaag Milkha Bhaag she was cited by Subhash K. Jha as one of the top actresses in India,[132] though a commentator for Rediff.com notes that several of her films have been commercial failures.[130] In 2009 she was the first Indian actress to appear onThe Hollywood Reporter's "Next Generation: Asia Class", a list of newcomers in film.[133] Outspoken publicly,[134] Kapoor's comments about contemporaries and others in the Indian film industry have occasionally caused controversy.[135][136][137] In a 2015 interview, she acknowledged that her opinions often get her into trouble, but remarked that "I believe it pays to be honest in the longer run".[138]
Kapoor is a popular figure nationally, with a significant following onTwitter andFacebook since 2009.[139][140] She appeared onThe Huffington Post's list of "100 most influential women on Twitter" in 2015.[141] She has been described by the media as a style icon,[142][143] and featured on Rediff.com's list of "Bollywood's Best Dressed Actresses" in 2012 and 2013.[144][145] In 2013, the newspaperHindustan Times and Indian edition ofVogue called her Style Icon (Reader's Choice) and Beauty of the Year, respectively.[146][147] Though Kapoor has earned praise for her dress sense and style, she has faced some criticism for wearing traditional Indian dresses.[143][148][149]
Kapoor was ranked seventh onThe Times of India's 2010 "Most Desirable Woman" list, placing 14th, 28th and 14th the next three years,[150][151] and was in the top ten of UK magazineEastern Eye's "World's Sexiest Asian Women" list from 2011 to 2014.[152] In 2012 and 2013 she also held 48th and 45th place, respectively, on theIndian edition ofForbes' "Celebrity 100" lists, based on the income and popularity of Indian celebrities.[153][154] She was named Woman of the Year by the men's magazineGQ India in 2013.[155] In 2014 and 2015, Kapoor reached 31st place and 26th position, respectively, peaking at the 18th position the following year with an annual income of₹200 million (US$2.3 million).[156] Kapoor has acquired several titles at theFilmfare Glamour and Style Awards—in 2015 she won for Most Stylish Star (Female) and Absolut Elyx Style & Substance Award, and in 2016, she was named Most Stylish Star (Female) and Red Carpet Royalty.[157][158]
As well as endorsing brands such asColgate,Electrolux,Lux,Mont Blanc,Oppo Mobile,Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. andSignature, Kapoor is the Indian ambassador for international cosmetics manufacturerL'Oréal.[159][160] In 2011, she was named Brand Ambassador of the Year at the NDTV Good Times Gadget Guru Awards.[161] Rediff.com reported in 2012 that she received₹30 million (US$340,000) for each endorsement, making her one of the highest-paid celebrity endorsers in India.[130] In 2020, Kapoor was among several Bollywood actors who were called out for posting Instagram messages showing solidarity with theBlack Lives Matter movement, despite their previous work advertising skin-lightening products which perpetuate colorism.[162][163]
In October 2023, Kapoor sent a legal notice to a YouTuber with 7,000 subscribers for making a joke about her.[164] Kapoor was criticised across the social media spectrums for this action that was deemed unwarranted.[165]
Activism
Kapoor attends a Cuddles Foundation fundraiser in August 2016
Kapoor has supported charitable organisations for various causes. In 2009, she participated in theInternational Indian Film Academy Awards fashion show, which supports widows and orphans of Indian film-industry workers.[166] On behalf ofPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) she wrote to MaharashtraHome MinisterR. R. Patil, protesting against the use of glass-coatedmanja (used onfighter kites), which kills birds who become entangled in it.[167] In 2018, however, she attracted some controversy when she declared her support for Salman Khan upon his conviction for hunting an endangeredblackbuck, despite her previous criticism of trophy hunting.[168]
In 2012, Kapoor asked fans to donate to the Ogaan Cancer Foundation for her birthday, and collaborated with the foundation to increase awareness ofbreast cancer.[169] She is also thebrand ambassador for the Elle Breast Cancer Campaign.[170] Kapoor is vocal in her support forLGBT rights in India.[171] She launched the trailer of the film,Sisak, India's first silent gay love story, through her Twitter account in January 2017.[172]
Kapoor auctioned some of her clothes on stylist Pernia Qureshi's online fashion boutique, Pernia's Pop-Up Shop, in 2012. The proceeds were donated to Smile Foundation, a child-welfare organisation.[173] In 2014, she attended a charitableart exhibition organised by theRouble Nagi Art Foundation,[174] and donated clothing and accessories to a website raising funds forIn Defense of Animals.[175] Kapoor walked the ramp in a 2015 fashion show byManish Malhotra for the Mijwan Welfare Society, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering girls.[176][177] The same year, she appeared withHrithik Roshan in the music video for "Dheere Dheere", whose profits were donated to charity.[178] In 2017, she hosted a dinner to raise funds for children suffering from cancer.[179]
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