MY reaction to the offer of meeting Kareena Kapoor after Kambakkht Ishq was like rubbing my hands in glee. Finally an opportunity to ask her all those questions that have been on my mind, like was she ever really a size zero, did she enjoy being an anorexic role model, why did she do a film like Kambakkht Ishq and would it be possible to do an interview with her that did not mention Saif Ali Khan?
You are looking great. Are you still a size zero?
Look, I was always like this. I think I am healthy and slim but not really thin. Yoga keeps me fit. I don’t go to the gym and lift weights and all. I don’t like that. That’s a false way to lose weight. I like natural therapies. The size zero thing was coming out of everyone’s ears. The anorexia comment was awful. They said I was living on orange juice, which I would never have because it has such high sugar content. I was never anorexic; never a size zero. I was just slim. And for the record, my waist is 25-26 inches and size zero does not exist!
So what keeps you so slim and healthy?
I never leave home without doing yoga (a combination of hatha yoga and ashtanga). I do 100 suryanamaskars once a week. I am really flexible and eat like a man. I am a hard core Punjabi. If I am not working, I wake up around noon because I am usually watching movies till late night. I start the day with fruit and chai followed by a big lunch of jowar or nachni rotis with lots of vegetables and yoghurt. I eat vegetables that you may not have heard of or tasted. I like karela, parval, tinda, bhopla and doodhi. I eat healthy vegetarian food and I don’t drink.
From your award-winning roles of Dolly in 'Omkara' and Geet in 'Jab We Met', why did you opt for Tashan and 'Kambakkht Ishq'?
'Kambakkht Ishq' is my film and I will never regret it, but it was mindless and not made to go to the Oscars or get local awards. It was not rocket science. Everyone went on about it so much that at least it recovered its money. Tashan was a decent film in which I enjoyed my role. I think it made more news than the Sensex because of the size zero topic. So in my mind, the way people went on about it, Tashan was a success for me. The fact is that films like Dev, Chameli and Omkara have got me a lot of critical acclaim as an actress, but Tashan, 'Kambakkht Ishq' and Golmaal Returns help maintain the commercial equilibrium.
But Om Shanti Om, Omkara, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal were also decent commercial films, and not offensive and crass like Kambakkht Ishq. Why do commercial films have to be stupid?
You know, I have realised that Indian audiences cannot see mainstream actors do or say certain things. All Akshay Kumar films had worked till then and maybe this was the audience’s way of saying they don’t want to see too much buffoonery.
But what do I do if Welcome, Singh is King, Golmaal and Golmaal Returns were all hits? Jab We Met did not make the same kind of money. If I do Golmaal Returns, people ask ‘why did Kareena act in this film?’ It’s so unfair! I always ask Saif how to answer this question and he says, ‘If you don’t want brain-dead films to be made and do well, then tell audiences to stop watching them’.
Surely working on these films cannot be very challenging for you as a professional.
It’s not, but where are the scripts and directors? There are only a handful of directors of note: Karan Johar, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rajkumar Hirani, Sriram Raghavan and Imtiaz Ali. I do four films a year so I have to choose from what is out there. The industry is surviving on mediocrity. Box office success consolidates your position but you have to strike a balance. I am becoming fussy now — it’s high time I did, otherwise people will just beat me up if I do another Kambakkht Ishq. However, if I keep doing movies like Dev, it might only be awards and no rewards.
You once said, “Anybody can dance and wear good clothes… I don’t want to be a dancing star. I want to be known as a powerful actress.” What do you say today?
Well, I am known as a powerful actress, but I also like to wear good clothes and dress up, though I hate getting my hair done. So I guess I’m a mix of both.
What have you got coming up next?
I have three more releases this year and all three roles are very different and nice.
In October there is Main Aur Mrs Khanna, which is a typical commercial Hindi movie.
It’s a love story with Salman Khan in which I play the title role. In November comes Kurbaan directed by Rensil D’Silva with Saif. Kurbaan is my best film after Jab We Met. I think it’s the best role an actress could ask for. It’s a serious, gritty thriller about a terrorist and his wife, the problems they go through in Afghanistan and their journey.
And then in December is Rajkumar Hirani’s Three Idiots which is a very special film. I play a medical student. It’s a dream to work with Raju and Aamir Khan. I would not have missed it for the world. The greed to learn and a chance to observe Aamir live on location is a big high.
I am also shooting for Sriram Raghavan’s Agent Vinod with Saif and next year I start the adaptation of Stepmom in which I play Julia Roberts’ part.
Any plans of working for the RK Films banner?
I would love to do a RK film, but all the good directors are working with their own production companies or have regular producers who they work with so who do we get to direct for us?
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