The Kapoor Karisma

This is a tale of the sisters Kapoor and Kapur.

I bet my bottom ruppee that the public was not aware that I was at school with Kareena. Such, however, was the case. And I actually walked up to her table (she was a few years senior to me) in the mess, to give a glass of water to someone else. (As junior most in senior school, you are definitely the child of a lesser God, and expected to run favors for the more favored seniors. This may have changed since, but in my day, I can testify that ragging was definitely not outlawed, and at its gentlest, included serving water to your seniors.)

But I digress. I saw Kareena on one other day- I think it was the Sports fete- and then she left, and moved on, winning fame, fortune, and the love of Chotte Nawab.

Now you may say that that’s not acquaintance enough to claim expertise on the Kapoo(u)rs, but frankly, I have done it on less.

Early in her career, I watched Kareena’s awkward interviews out of a feeling of possessiveness. (After all, I’d seen her when she was a babe!) Her undiplomatic statements at the time, and the hunger to be Bollywood’s top actress lost her several fans (and friends in the acting fraternity, if gossip is to be believed). Her morphosis into a poised, and beautiful actress, who heads Bollywood’s A list is to my mind a testimony to the fact that you can do what you put your mind to (err….though the right surname and connections may help).

Furthermore, it is a lesson to women who come from families where there is a pre decided ‘role’ that women serve- you can challenge the family traditions! Kapoor women did not act before Kareena and Karisma (ah now you see why I said it’s a tale of two sisters). If they did, like Neetu Kapoor, they gave it up post marriage.

My only wish now is for Kareena to continue acting post marriage- which is something Karisma has not done, although she continues to appear in ads and as a judge on the small screen. It will prove not only that Kapoor women can act (better sometimes than the men) but also continue doing so after marriage- which seems to be a taboo so far in the Kapoo(u)r household.

And I will be cheering on!