One of the first to break the Kapoor stereotype, grand-daughter of Raj Kapoor, Karisma or Lolo, not only entered showbiz but also made it big there. Her passion and scintillating looks made her one of the most prominent stars of the 90s.
However, very few of us are aware of the price she paid for this. ‘Lolo’ allegedly dropped out of school soon after she entered sixth standard to pursue acting. Her first film was Prem Qaidi which released when she was just sixteen.
Karisma has appeared in over 50 films till date and most of them have been super hits. Karisma was known for her flawless skin, pink lips and bushy eyebrows when she started her career. But the actress underwent a huge transformation in her looks and appeal over the years. And today she is known as one of the most iconic personalities onscreen. Over the years she has emerged as a trendsetter.
Karisma has won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). She also won Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the film Raja Hindustani (1996) and Fiza (2000). She won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for the film Zubeidaa. Karisma was also nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the film Shakti: The Power.
She gave some of the major hits with Ajay Devgn and Govinda.
With films like Coolie No 1 and Hero No 1, Karisma and Govinda emerged as one of the most bankable pair of the decade. Her jodi with Salman Khan was also widely appreciated. During the phase where she was reigning as the Queen of Bollywood with back-to-back hits and many high end endorsements, Karisma was also linked with actors Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn.
Time was, when Karisma Kapoor ruled the box office like no one else.
This was also the time, in the early ’90s, when Bollywood was smitten by mind-numbing storylines, over-the-top melodramatic dialogues, and some of the craziest (read, dirty) dance moves that violated our sensibilities. Needless to say, Karisma rode high on the trend, and endeared herself to us every time she was paired with Govinda, Anil Kapoor and Suneil Shetty. Karisma began her career with Prem Qaidi opposite Govinda in 1991 and was soon swarmed with film offers. She featured in more than 40 movies in the ’90s and her pairing with Govinda was one of the most loved ones of the time.
However, after her Bollywood comeback ‘Dangerous Ishq’ was a complete box-office disaster, she cleverly decided to give the telly a go. If it’s not the big screen, then yesteryear actresses don’t shy away from the small screens. With the Indian television scene on an all-time, it’s more of a stepping up, than stepping down. Karisma was first seen on the small screen in 2003 in the serial ‘Karisma – The Miracles of Destiny’. Later, she judged dance reality shows ‘Nach Baliye 4’, ‘Aaja Mahi Vay’ and ‘Wife Bina Life’.
For one, TV is often more profitable than movies. So, if she clicks, it will be smooth sailing for her. She will also be able take enough time out to nurture her two children, making movie commitments tough to keep. But, in telly, she can easily schedule her time away from home, thus focusing on her kids, while staying financially independent. Hopefully, this attempt won’t be as damaging as ‘Dangerous Ishq’.
The Bollywood actress also supports a number of charities and has been a goodwill ambassador for Pinkathon 2012 for breast cancer awareness. In 2013, Kapoor participated in a campaign with Priyanka Chopra to highlight the rights of girls in India. Kapoor has endorsed brands like Kellogg’s, Crescent Lawn, Admix Retail, Danone and Garnier Colour.
“I haven’t decided to come back on screen yet. Right now I’m very busy with my family,” Karishma said at a recent event, where she was present to raise awareness about diabetes.
Fridaybrands.com wishes this gutsy actress a good comeback whenever she decides to do so, whether on the big or small screen…
