Karisma Kapoor Birthday Special: Popular 90s Star Who Became A Nuanced Performer

The erstwhile city of Mumbai is synonymous with the world of films, television and the glitz & glamour of the showbiz industry. Millions aspire to rule over the tinsel town however a few get the opportunity to become a "star" in this industry. Undoubtedly, Karisma Kapoor was one such star who was also a bankable woman actor of the 90s.

Kapoor, who is turning 48 today, since she debuted with the 1991 romantic drama Prem Qaidi starred in five consecutive flop films. It was films like Jigar and Anari that changed the graph of her career, after which there was no looking back.

The quintessential Hindi film actor has everything: acting abilities, stunning looks and enviable dancing skills. The actor, who comes from the illustrious film family of Raj Kapoor, also possesses an impeccable comedic timing and she's proved her mettle as she appeared alongside Govinda in a number of hit films like Hero No 1, Raja Babu and other comedies like Andaz Apna Apna which have gained a cult status over the years despite mild success at the box office back when it was released.

Karisma Kapoor's performance in the cult classic comedy received great admiration from the ardent fans of the film. Her stint as Raveena Bajaj, daughter of a London-based business tycoon, who arrives in India to find true love made way for hilarity to ensue.

However, things were not hunky-dory for the actor who's almost collaborated with every male superstar of her era. Kapoor herself has admitted how she was not given acknowledgement when she first entered the industry. "Nobody gave a 17-year-old credit for doing my job reasonably well," she was quoted saying.

Many comedy films that the actor was part of in the early part of her career were not only notorious for regressive portrayal of women, but didn't do justice to her own capabilities as a budding star.

Karisma Kapoor films that changed her career graph

Certainly, it was not easy to be taken seriously with the mindless comedies she was starring in. But she persevered when most people would have given up. She tried and eventually also starred in films that cemented her stardom and her acting skills aged like fine wine through the years.

Her stint as the lead in Dharmesh Darshan's film Raja Hindustani gave her the first bit of recognition as a bankable actor when the film gained great commercial success when it was released in 1996. It was also one of the highest-grossing films with a Worldwide revenue of ₹765 million. While the film hasn't aged well due its regressive tone, there is no doubt that this film changed the course of Kapoor's career.

Suggested reading: Tabu Is Finally Getting Roles She Deserves. She Isn’t The Only 90s Heroine To Do So

The 1997 Yash Chopra film Dil Toh Pagal Hai then earned the actor her first and only National Award. She appeared in a supporting role as Nisha, a feisty dancer who is in love with her best friend and colleague Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan). The actor effortlessly matched her steps with the queen of expressions and dance Madhuri Dixit who appeared in the film as Pooja.

Madhuri Dixit with Karishma Kapoor in 'Dil toh pagal hai'
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Kapoor's 1999 comedy-drama Biwi No 1 opposite Salman Khan was a hit. The film also starred Sushmita Sen, Anil Kapoor and Tabu. By today's standards, it is a crass film about a man who does not care for his wife and falls for a model (Sen). The plot only gets crazier when Kapoor, in order to get him back brings down Sen and also starts emulating her behaviour. Then there is the problematic trivialisation of male infidelity, which is duly forgotten by Kapoor's character who is sold to us as an adarsh patni.

However creepy the film may seem, undeniably, it worked wonders for the audience then and minted money at the box office. It was also one of the few comedies from 90s where the titular character was a woman.

But her most memorable performances for me remain in the films Zubeida and Fiza. The two films have a special place on my watchlist because of the nuanced performances the actor delivered in them.

In the film Fiza, she plays the role of a sister who has to eventually kill her own brother (Hrithik Roshan) who joins a terrorist group after he disappears during the 1993 Communal Riots of Bombay. Kapoor's act as Fiza, who is desperately looking for her brother and distraught by the fact that he's become a terrorist which drives their mother to die by suicide, remains etched in my mind. She gets under the skin of Fiza and brings her to life.

Kapoor as Zubeida in the biographical drama of a yester era actor same name again was impressionable. In the Shyam Benegal directorial, Kapoor is seen as an actor married into a royal family. Her husband, a Rajput maharaja (Manoj Bajpayee) is already married to a much older and more mature Mandira Devi (played by Rekha). Despite starring alongside stalwart actors, Kapoor shone through the film and left no doubts about her calibre as an actor.

Karisma Kapoor was last seen in the web show Mentalhood and will soon be seen in OTT project Brown, helmed by director Abhinay Deo. Here's hoping that we will soon get to see her in films and web series that do justice to her potential.

The views expressed are the author's own