Her detractors never had it so tough. Kareena Kapoor is going to merit more than her share of eyeballs in the next couple of years. Just check this out. Her recent releases include: Mani Ratnam?s Yuva and Govind Nihalani?s Dev and Ken Ghosh?s Fida actually on screen in Mauritius. Scheduled for later this year are Abbas-Mustan?s Aitraaz and Dharmesh Darshan?s Bewafaa. Under production are Satish Kaushik?s Milenge Milenge and Priyadarshan?s Hulchul. And to be mounted early 2005 is Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s magnum opus Bajirao Mastani. Phew!

Is it any wonder that the ever-spunky actress is full of beans and completely driven?While Mumbai temperatures soar to a sweltering 38 degrees, Kareena Kapoor, in a designer pantsuit, steps out of her orange make-up trailer, looking as if she?s breathing Alpine cold air. Her champagne eyes crinkle into a smile as she says : «I signed my last two films for a crore and a half. That is the price a producer pays a successful hero. So here I am, a 23-year-old with some flops to my credit, whom producers are willing to pay a price that matches up to any hero?s. I think I?m doing well, don?t you?»

What would she say is her USP? «It?s all about having a screen presence. And I?m extremely thankful to God for being so kind to me. Just being a little cute and having a bit of talent is not good enough for a heroine to survive.»

Thoughtfully she adds: «Also, I have never failed my directors or my scripts. Though there have been times when scripts have failed me. Maybe I should never have done Talaash and Jeena Sirf Mere Liye. But then, what the hell, every top actress, whether it is Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit or Karisma Kapoor, have done around 100 films, out of which 30 have been shit. If I?ve had six bad films, it?s no big deal.»

You can?t disagree with Kareena, not with her track record. Only three of her films ?Ajnabee, Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ? garnered a major box office draw, yet she has worked with every top film-maker in the country. «With a few exceptions like Ram Gopal Varma and Rajkumar Santoshi,» she points out. «I don?t call up any film-maker and ask for work,» she adds. «I know several superstars who do. No film-maker can claim I called him up for a role. I come from a family that forbids me to do certain things. And I always live within those parameters. I?m not a girl who?s come from a small town to make her life in films. I can?t call up film producers or walk into their offices. I?m confident that if they want me, they?ll call me. If I sit at home for six months, they will still be aware that Kareena Kapoor is around.»

Kareena says she?s had it up to here with people constantly telling her that with her looks and talent she should have been ruling the roost. And that it?s because she refused some of the biggest films at the beginning of her career that she isn?t in a more advantageous position. She tosses off her reply: «I?m sorry to harp about my age. But I?m all of 23. When I refused those ?big? movies I was 21. If I had done those movies and picked up the awards that would?ve come with them, I?d be sitting at home by the time I was 25, probably pestering some man to marry me. Honestly there?d have been nothing more to do.»

Flashing a beatific smile, she continues: «The women who are getting their due at the box office currently are all in the age group of 27 to 30. Probably even 30+. I have time on my side. I?m glad that God is keeping some and giving me some because I want to work in the industry for at least 10 years. I want to make it clear to the film fraternity that even if they push me out. I?m not going anywhere. I?m far too ambitious and I?m making no bones about it.»

She argues : «Being part of a successful film is fine. There have been stars that have been part of successful set-ups, but they fizzle out after four of five years. People don?t even remember them. But if an artiste is truly talented then he or she will never be out of work.»

«I don?t want just to be part of a successful film in which I have three songs and six scenes,» she declares. «I?d rather not do a film like that. I?d prefer a flop, about which people will say the film didn?t do well, but Kareena Kapoor was good. I?ve always lived by that perception and I always will.»

«Take Yuva for instance,» she recalls. «I was lying on my bed, a couple of days after Khushi had been declared a flop. And out of the blue I got a call from Mani Ratnam Sir offering me Yuva. Heroines need to succeed to get work in the industry. In my case, every time I?ve given my flop, I?ve signed a film with a top film-maker. True talent always survives.»

About her Yuva co-star Vivek Oberoi, she chuckles, «Contrary to what people think, Vivek is a very nice person. He comes across as very positive. He has been very kind to me. I think we also make a great screen pair. I?m glad people have liked us together in Yuva. I hope the two of us do some more movies. There are certain people who have reacted more to my pairing with Vivek than to my pairing with Shahid Kapoor.»

Hmmm, Shahid Kapoor. Her Fida co-star and current love interest. Though she wants to downplay the latter. «Both Shahid and I are 23,» she points out. «We bond with and care about each other. I like spending time with Shahid. He makes me feel normal. Whenever we can, we catch a movie at Fame Adlabs or we have dinner together. It?s a fun relationship not something passionate and lustful. But the media is blowing our relationship out of proportion. They are hyping it up.»

But hadn?t she said she would never go out with an actor? «I?m retracting my statement. I didn?t know then what the future held. And even as I talk to you. I can say I like Shahid but I don?t know what?s in store for us.» Kareena also feels that the audience doesn?t care whether Shahid Kapoor and she are seeing each other. «It is up to (Fida director) Ken Ghosh to make a good film,» she remarks. «If Ken has made a good film, it will run. Everything else is secondary.»Does she have any other friends in the industry besides Shahid Kapoor? Talk is she bonded with Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta at a private screening held by Karan Johar recently.

«Rani and I go back a long way,» she reminisces. «She?s a very nice girl and a friend. We bonded on the sets of Mujhse Dosti Karoge and I cherish the memories I shared with her. She?s also a remarkable artiste. I?m also friendly with Esha Deol. But as far as Preity Zinta is concerned, we?ve just exchanged a few pleasantries. She is not close to me.» Amused, she asks, "I wonder why my name evokes such strong reactions from people. Even the biggest stars in the country take my name in their interviews at least once. Honestly, they are so successful and yet a girl who has given six flops makes a difference to their lives. I don?t go out of my way to befriend anyone. Once I?m home from the studio, I just cut off all connections. I don?t wish to bond with more people than the ones already I know closely. There?s too much politics in this place.»

Just as we?re about to wrap up, Kareena declares : «I can?t deal with hypocrisy. I?ve never called any film-maker and praised his work just so that I can get work. The one person I have praised all through is Shah Rukh Khan. I was a fan of his before I became a heroine. And irrespective of whether I work with him or not, I will continue to remain his fan.» Having declared that, Kareena Kapoor retreats into the orange make-up trailer, where we started off, leaving lesser mortals melting in the heat. ■

Source : Filmfare by Meena IYER