On Her Birthday(September 21) Subhash K Jha Selects Kareena Kapoor’s Top 10 Films
- Refugee(2000): No film that followed ever captured Kareena’s radiant beauty and ethereal persona as ably as this. Director J P Dutta had made a promise to his friend Randhir Kapoor that he would give the latter’s daughter the kind of launch which audiences would remember for all times.JP kept his promise. From her first glimpse on screen when Abhishek Bachchan sees her splashing water on her face it was love at first sight between Kareena and the camera. Playing a girl scuttling across the border to Pakistan with her family Kareena reminded us of the screen legends of yore like Nutan, Madhubala and Nargis.Her love affair with the camera has continued for 14 years.
- Asoka(2001): Following Refugee Kareena was electric on screen as the warrior princess Kaurwaki in this Santosh Sivan-directed pseudo-historical. Kareena exuded fire and passion in every scene with or without Shah Rukh Khan. Her introductory song San sana sanepitomized her mercurial personality. I remember Kareena’s mom Babita telling me after the film’s first trial, ‘Bebo(Kareena) should just retire after this. She can’t better this.’ Luckily Kareena could.And did.
- Chameli(2004)—The streetwalker dancing in the rain wearing Manish Malhotra’s kaleidoscopic concept of what a hustler wears, Kareena played the character with not a trace of selfpity and a jar-full of joie de vivre. Director Sudhir Mishra was so impressed that he awaits to this day to work with his ‘Chameli’ again.
- Yuva(2004)—In Mani Rathnam’s layered chocolate-box of a film Kareena played the child of caprice. Whimsical, passionate, uncertain about her future and altogether a portrait of the gen-x’s genuine self-doubts and passionate protests. No film has captured that gamine-like unpredictable quality of hers so well. Jaya Bachchan loves Kareena in Yuva.So did we.
- Dev(2004)—In Govind Nihalani’s film Kareena played a role directly inspired by Zaheera Sheikh who testified against the death of 14 people in a bakery during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Kareena lived the role of a girl forced to make some very hard decisions about life and death.No makeup, no artifice. No bullshit. Just Kareena and the camera and the truth.
- Fida(2004)—Kareena’s first and so far only negative role. In this Ken Ghosh thriller she gets together with Fardeen Khan to make a sucker out of Shahid Kapoor. It’s hard to imagine Kareena in a negative role. But she pulled she it off effortlessly.
- Omkara(2006)—Playing the victim doesn’t come easily to Kareena. Here playing the desi Desdemona from Shakespeare’s Othello she brought a heartbreaking vulnerability to the part of the wife of a very jealous husband.The best thing about Kareena’s performance was that she seemed to do so little and yet convey so much.Director Vishal Bharadwaj used Kareena’s presence like no other filmmaker.
- Jab We Met(2007)—Kareena’s passport to immortality.The one film that she can show her children to prove that Mummy was terrific actor when she set her mind and heart to it. If in Omkara she expressed angst through silences in Jab We Met she was all over the place. Voluble, vivacious and vibrant , she filled the suicidal hero Shahid Kapoor’s life with something vital.We all need that element in our lives.
- Heroine(2012)—Though Madhur Bhandarkar’s film sank at the boxoffice Kareena’s brave bravura turn as a superstar on the slide was arresting for its emphatic emotive energy.You couldn’t miss her arrogant self-worth even if you were not familiar with Kareena’s career and personality.Heroine’s protagonist Mahi Arora’s descent into a drug-induced hell made us happy that in Kareena’s life, all was well.
- Talaash(2012)—Kareena played a ghost with a tragic past.The performance was contoured by a sense of tragic loss that reminded me of Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice. When Kareena is at her best she is untouchable.

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Rakesh Roshan: “Everything I Know About Acting & Direction, I Learnt From K Vishwanathji”

The mighty moviemaker K Vishwanath who was to Telugu cinema what Satyajit Ray was to Bengali cinema, passed away on February 2,leaving behind a luminous legacy.
Acto-director Rakesh Roshan who had the rare honour of working in four projects with Vishwanath recalls him with tremendous respect. “Everything I know about acting and direction I learnt from him. He was a stalwart , an institution, and so passionate about his work. I had the privilege of being directed by him in two films Aurat Aurat Aurat and Shubh Kamna. He would show his actors exactly what he wanted, down to the minutest gesture.His understanding of the medium was extraordinary.”
Rakesh Roshan remembers how he invited Vishwanath to make films for him. “I produced two films that Vishwanathji directed. One was Kaamchor, the other was Jaag Utha Insaan.While the first was a runaway success, the second didn’t do well.”
Speaking on how Kaamchor happened Rakesh recalls, “Vishwanathji and I used to meet socially in Hyderabad.We wanted to work together. But we had no script.One evening when we met he looked very depressed. When I asked him what was wrong, he said his new release Shubodayam (in Telugu) had flopped. That night I went to see Shobodayam in a theatre in Hyderabad. The next morning I told Vishwanathji, ‘We’ve found our script’. I told him where the storytelling in Shubhodayam had gone wrong.We corrected the script and that’s how Kaamchor happened. Although the entire story revolved around me, it was Jaya Prada who benefited from Kaamchor.”
About the beautiful Jaag Utha Insaan , Rakesh Roshan admits bluntly, “It flopped because of miscasting. During those days Sridevi was known in Hindi cinema as a glamorous heroine. We cast her as classical dancer. Mithun Chakraborty had the image of Gun Master G-9 and Disco Dancer.We cast him as a downtrodden underdog. I was known for Kaamchor and other citybred characters,I was cast as a Brahmin pandit.With other actors Jaag Utha Insaan would have been a superhit”
Rakesh met K Vishwanath six years ago. “We were shooting for Krissh in Hyderabad. He came on the set several times. We had so much to say to each other. After that we lost contact. He was very very busy with many projects. K Vishwanathji lived for his cinema.”
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As His Latest Work Faraaz Releases Today, Hansal Mehta Speaks To Subhash K Jha On The Exciting Times Ahead

Hansal, Faraaz is your fifteenth directorial venture. How does it feel to have come so far with so many milestones behind you?
I don’t count my films. Genuinely. Every film is a new beginning. Every film has its share of uncertainty and nerves. Perhaps it is also because of the choices I make. There is no scope for either complacency or me carrying a false sense of security. I’m not complaining,though. Living life on the edge keeps me going.
I consider Faraaz to be a part of your great trilogy on the dynamics of terrorism, after Shahid and Omerta…where do you see Faraaz positioned in your creative ambit?
Thank you , Subhash.Faraaz is a film I’m very, very proud of. It was a challenge to pull off, a tough journey but creatively a very satisfying one. As Rajkummar Rao told me after watching the film , the Trilogy is complete now. Time to explore new stories and new characters. And finish post-production for all the exciting things that we shot for over the past eighteen months.
Out of curiosity which of your films have given you the most creative satisfaction?
Almost every film Shahid onwards has been immensely satisfying , both in terms of process and the outcome. Save a couple that I need not name. But even those I own for all their flaws, failures, deficiencies and redeeming qualities. But Faraaz has been a great process. I’ve made so many new friends in this journey and found some of the most exciting colleagues that I’m proud to introduce through the film. Writers Raghav Kakkar and Kashyap Kapoor (who co-wrote the film with Ritesh Shah), Cinematographer Pratham Mehta, Sound Designer Mandar Kulkarni, Editor Amitesh Mukherjee, co-producers Sahil, Maz and Sakshi – all of whom have given their blood and sweat to make this film happen. And of course Anubhav Sinha one of my oldest friends in the industry who backed me in telling this story just the way I wanted it. So yes, Faraaz has been satisfying and also filled me with a deep sense of gratitude. I must have done something right, no?
Of course. Faraaz has a lot of young new actors in it. Tell me about the process of casting in this film? It couldn’t have been easy since there are dozens of faces?
That was the challenge and the joy of making this film. I worked on the story during Chhalaang and I always knew that it would be a return to my indie roots for Faraaz. The film had to be made. And it needed fresh faces, bereft of image or trappings of stardom. A huge credit to Mukesh Chhabra who has a huge role to play in my filmography since Shahid. We constantly challenge each other and never ever give up. Casting is a process I really enjoy and finding the right talent to bring characters alive is something I thrive upon. Faraaz has an amazing ensemble. Right from Aditya Rawal , Zahan Kapoor, Juhi Babbar to every small character in the film including the officers, parents and the hostages this one is a triumph of honest casting , casting without an eye on profits, simply in service of the film, of the character.
Faraaz is about a terror attack in Bangladesh?how do you respond to those who want to know, why Bangladesh?
In our research of this dastardly attack we realised that here was a story that had a larger message and something very universal to share. Misguided youth taking up violence in the name of religion or a parent’s love for her child or the unexpected bravery from an unlikely hero are themes that cannot be limited by borders, nationality or language. These stories must be told. They must transcend the limitations of perceived local relevance – particularly when our polarised times need such stories to be told to a larger audience.
In 2020, your OTT series Scam 1992 proved to b e game changer. Do you see Scam as a turning point in your career?
I see Scam 1992 as an enabler. We did not expect its humongous success and to say it did not change things would be fake humility. It gave me back a lot of things I had lost in the years before it released. Including some money. And the courage to tell the stories I desperately wanted to. Also exceptional friends and collaborators like Sameer Nair and his Studio Applause.
Your films and your attitude to cinema has always been fearless. How do you cope with the threat of growing intolerance in our society vis a vis your convictions as a filmmaker?
It is not new to me. Remember Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar in 2000? The only difference now is that then I was deeply affected by the intolerance to a point of self destruction. Now I channelise my despair and anger into telling relevant stories and through them taking on those who have made it a business to be intolerant.
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To Attend Siddharth-Kiara’s Destination Wedding, Karan Johar Preponed His Twins’s Birthday Bash

For those who are wondering why Karan Johar hosted the grand birthday party for his twins Roohi and Yash who will turn 6 on 7 February, six days in advance on 1 February here is why: on the day of his twins’ birthday, Karan will be in Rajasthan attending the wedding celebrations of his dear friends Siddharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani who are getting married on February 6.
Reveals a friend close to Karan, “Karan was in a dilemma. To him there is nothing more important than his children’s happiness. How could he break their hearts by skipping the most important day of their lives? At the same time, how could he not attend Siddharth and Kiara’s wedding ? They are very close to him.”
Karan did the best thing possible to resolve the situation: he put the dilemma before his children Yash and Juhi who happily agreed to have their party a few days in advance so their ‘Dada’ could attend his friends’ wedding.
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The Big Independence Day Clash To Be Averted?

Sunny Deol, John Abraham Ranbir Kapoor and the Covid Vaccine are all set to clash at the boxoffice this Independence Day .
While the Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal and Sunny Deol’s long-awaited Gadar sequel are both scheduled for release on August 11, John Abraham’s Tariq releases three days later on August 15.On the same day Vivek(The Kashmir Files) also releases The Covid Vaccine.
It looks like a crowded weekend, with one too many releases for audiences to choose from.
Apparently intense discussions are on among the producers of the four big films to see how the clutter can be resolved.
A source close to the development says, “Gadar 2 is the right fit for the Independence Day weekend. But the producers of Animal are in no mood to move from August 13 . John who is a co-producer on Tariq and Vivek Agnihotri with his Covid Vaccine are also adamant on coming on August 15.The Independence Day weekend is a long weekend. So let’s see…”
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