Bollywood: "Nothing wrong with being a married actress": Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor says times have changed and she is thrilled to be working with the only Khan with whom she has not worked before.



Angrezi Medium is a special tour, what brought you on board?
I love to play different roles and I have never really weighed a piece based on its length. For me, what is important is that I should be willing to be part of the film. Saif (Ali Khan, actor-husband) was filming in London and Taimur and I were there with him for two months. Homi (Adajania, director) wanted to tour with me for only 10 days and I thought, why not. I was eager to work with Irrfan (Khan, co-actor), after working with all the other Khans. The film would tick another item on my bucket list. Also, I had never played a cop before, so I accepted the offer. Plus, I loved Hindi Medium and thought it deserved to be transformed into a franchise, unlike most franchises today.

Have there been any opportunities to work with Irrfan in the past?
Nothing concrete, really, that's why I couldn't lose this opportunity.

Angrezi Medium is the return of the Irrfans after a sabbatical year of a year and a half. How was the atmosphere on the sets?
He is extremely professional and a fantastic guy. He brings so much respectability to each character around him just by being in the frame. He was all there, he looked great and acted incredibly well.

This is also a first match with Dimple Kapadia for you …
Dimple aunty's arc and my character is parallel to Radhika (Madan) and Irrfans. Their reflects the bond of a father and a daughter, ours is that of a mother and a daughter. Our families are close, but being in the same setting as Dimple aunty was surreal. I was able to make a beautiful scene with her which I consider to be the best of my career. This film gave me so much

It's been 20 years since the release of your first film, Refugee. What makes you move forward?
My love for theater, which has not waned for two decades. If anything, it has only grown. I was doing Veere Di Wedding when Taimur was only six and a half months old. The fire is still there, but now I choose according to my time.

I'm probably the only actress to have worked with directors from Rohit Shetty and Imtiaz Ali to Sudhir Mishra, Mani Ratnam and Govind Nihalani. Few can enter the different worlds of directors. I am lucky to be able to feel comfortable as an actress in different spaces.

Now, I would like to work with Zoya Akhtar, this is the only box left to check. There have been several opportunities in the past, but things have not worked out because of me. His films are spectacular, like poetry. I like to watch Gully boy again and again.

You have also challenged the age-old convention that a Bollywood the actress cannot have a career after her marriage
There is nothing wrong with being a married actress and luckily a number of directors are supporting it today. I have to work with Kabir Khan, R Balki and so many other filmmakers after the wedding. It's just an idea that Bollywood wants unmarried girls. Times have changed and actresses like Vidya Balan and Kangana Ranaut have broken boundaries with their choice of films. They played remarkable roles.

The next step for you is Laal Singh Chaddha alongside Aamir Khan. It is the official adaptation of the Hollywood drama of Tom Hanks …
(Excited) I've seen Forrest Gump at least 10 times. The role of Robin Wrights is wonderful, and I just had to be part of this adaptation. It will be one of my best movies. It's a very different space for me, but I can't talk about it much at the moment. All I can say is that working with Aamir is more than spectacular.

Buzz is, you team up with Shah Rukh Khan for his next with Rajkumar Hirani?
No this is not true. I adore and respect Shah Rukh a lot and I would love to work with him again. But nothing is happening at the moment.

Karan Johar described his return to power, the extravagance of the Takht period, as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in the Mughal era and said that it was essentially a family drama. It's a kind of meeting for you two after 20 years
Karan is truly a visionary, he does everything with so much determination and perseverance. He grew from strength to strength. Of course, we are both so different from what we were 18 years ago. He can't harass me; I have been working in the industry for 20 years. Now I can also intimidate him. It's gonna be fun.

You often help Saif to select his scripts. Does it help you?
No, Saif doesn't help me at all. We discuss his career, but never mine. If I ask him something, he will shrug and say: No, no or Ya, ok. As the only fearless actor today, he is in such an incredible space. Having worked in the industry for 30 years and playing such cool roles is amazing!