'I'm happy just as I am'

Kareena Kapoor is thrilled. Not at her alleged affair with actor Shahid Kapur (which she refutes anyway), but with her role in Chameli which, she says, is an experience she will cherish.
“It’s not the usual love story shot in exotic foreign locales. I play the role of a commercial sex worker (CSW) and the film is only an hour and 45 minutes long,� says Kareena.“The story is so realistic, so close to life. I went to Kamathipura, talked to the CSWs. I learnt the way they talk, the way they dress up and even observed minute things, like their fingernails.�
Isn’t it a bit of a risk for a mainstream commercial actress to accept the role of a sex worker? “Do you know the role was first offered to me by Pritish Nandy Communications about one and a half years ago? But at the time, I had reservations about enacting this character. I was busy doing mainstream commercial movies. A year later, Nandy called to ask if I’m still interested. By that time, I had decided to branch out and do some really good movies. I’m happy Nandy waited for me,� smiles Kareena. What about the decision to work opposite Rahul Bose, who isn’t a top-rung actor like her usual co-stars? “Rahul’s a serious actor and an amazing man and I realised that only after working with him.�
Kareena — who’s also got Govind Nihalani’s Dev, Mani Ratnam’s Yuva, Dharmesh Darshan’s Bewafaa and Abbas-Mastan’s Air Crash lined up — says that it’s not that she wants to divert completely to off-beat films. “However, as an actress, it’s satisfying to do a variety of roles, to satisfy my creative urges.� Then why did she turn down Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3? “I was interested, but he wanted to start shooting immediately and I had date problems.�
Despite some of her movies not working, Kareena still one of the most sought-after heroines. Kareena breaks into laughter. “Yeah, that’s strange, na? Maybe I did some good work in my previous life,� she quips.
Kareena says that sister Karisma’s been a guiding force in her career. Even after Karisma’s marriage, “I call her 20 times a day,� she giggles. And how has it helped having actor parents, Randhir and Babita Kapoor? Kareena says, “There is no substitute for hard work. You may get a break as a star kid, but it is hard work that will establish you as a successful artiste.�
And what about her much-talked-about ‘affair’ with Shahid? “What nonsense. There’s no such affair. I’m happy as I am now.�
nirmal.mishra@timesgroup.com