Kareena Kapoor Khan clocks 21 years in Bollywood

Two decades after her screen debut, Kareena Kapoor Khan continues to be one of Indian cinema’s most in-demand actresses. This year marks the 21st anniversary of Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Bollywood debut, with 2000’s Refugee.

With more than 70 films under her collar and umpteen awards, the actress – who was born into a film royalty stretching three generations – is still as relevant and in demand as ever.

Kapoor was criticised ahead in her career for being “plump” … and then considered too “skinny” as a size zero in Tashan (2008). Whatever the critique was, the 40-year-old actress is constantly one step forward from her counterparts, understanding that her body size will stay a hot topic even decades after the event.

As an actress Kapoor has reinvented herself by playing supporting roles and working alongside indie filmmakers; an exception for well-known Bollywood actresses. From playing a dancer bombshell in Don (2006), the bubbly Geet in Jab We Met (2007) to doctor Kalindi in Udta Punjab (2016), each role sharpened her acting chops and modified her portfolio.

Whether it was walking the ramp for Sabyasachi Mukherjee, posing in tailored Gaurav Gupta for a Grazia cover, or shooting Veere Di Wedding six months into her pregnancy, the starlet showed her pregnancy bump to the world. Speaking to Hindustan Times, she said, “I’m a woman, and this is what God has made, and it’s such a beautiful thing. I’m not sure why no Bollywood actress has done this before!”

Despite being one of the highest-paid actress in Bollywood, Kapoor has stated on numerous occasions that she is not getting paid as much as her male counterparts, raising the issues about pay parity.