“I was always meant to be an actress”: Karisma Kapoor’s throwback revelation

Before Karisma Kapoor dazzled Bollywood in the 1990s, she made history just by choosing to step into films. In a rare interview from 1990, a year before her debut in Prem Qaidi, a 16-year-old Karisma candidly spoke about breaking Kapoor family tradition, her first day on set, and the special encouragement she received from her legendary grandfather Raj Kapoor.

Breaking the Family Mould

Speaking to Lehren Retro, Karisma addressed this directly, saying,
"If my father and his brother could marry heroines, why can't the women of the family work in films? It's the same thing."

At a time when daughters-in-law like Babita and Neetu Singh had given up acting after marriage, Karisma’s decision to pursue acting marked a turning point. She dismissed assumptions that Kapoor women were barred from the screen, stating,
“I don’t know why everybody is under this illusion. My father encourages me now. Even my grandfather said, ‘Lolo baby, if you become an actress, be the best — otherwise don’t.’”

Facing the Camera for the First Time

Although her debut film Prem Qaidi released in 1991, Karisma’s first shooting experience came during the filming of Nishchay in 1990, which released later in 1992. She recalled her first day on set fondly, sharing, "I had waited so long to face the camera. It was so nice. I shot a short scene with Salman Khan and Reema Lagoo. Everyone, including the director, was incredibly sweet and made me feel comfortable.”

She also noted that she never did a screen test, making her debut feel even more personal and organic.

On the other hand, Karisma Kapoor’s previous outing was ‘Murder Mubarak’ which was directed by Homi Adajania.