Guwahati: Bollywood diva Karishma Kapoor is the first girl of the Kapoor clan to enter the entertainment world. The actress was welcomed in the movie business with open arms when she debuted on the silver screen in the 90s.
The iconic Karisma Kapoor popularly known as Lolo turns 47 today. She has been one of the most loved and admired actors of the 90s.
Karisma made her acting debut in 1991 at the age of 17 opposite Harish Kumar in a romantic drama named Prem Qaidi, which didn’t do very well.
Following this, even though her first five films flopped at the Box Office, she didn’t back down.
She kept moving forward with whatever she got which led her to become one of the most successful actors of the time. Everyone wanted her as the leading lady in their films.
She has worked opposite stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Govinda, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan.
The actress was able to carve a niche for herself in the era which was being dominated by superstars Madhuri and Sridevi.
So on her birthday lets remember her iconic performances:
Raja Hindustani (1996)
It is impossible to not mention Raja Hindustani while speaking of Karisma’s most memorable films and roles. This film opposite Aamir Khan didn’t just prove to be superhit but also marked as the turning point for the actress’s career as she underwent a drastic transformation. The film was released in 1996. Karisma earned her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress for this film. It was also one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997)
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor in the lead, this film was based on dance and amazing music. Here, also Karisma managed to cast her magic on screen with her extraordinary dancing skills and that too opposite the dancing queen Madhuri Dixit. People even loved her performance more than Madhuri. Her dancing skills were appreciated so much that she was even compared to Madhuri. She also won a National Award for the film Best Supporting Actress.
Hero No. 1 (1997)
Karisma’s ‘Hero No.1’ also released in 1997. She was cast opposite Govinda in the romantic comedy, directed by David Dhawan. She plays an innocent girl who goes abroad for a holiday and falls in love with a boy which her family finds difficult to accept. Her chemistry with Govinda was loved by the masses. The movie did turn out to be a box-office blockbuster of the year.
Fiza (2000)
‘Fiza’ might be one of the best and critically acclaimed films of Karisma Kapoor. This masterpiece was written and directed by Khalid Mohamed and starred Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Manoj Bajpayee as well. Karisma played the role of Hrithik’s sister and daughter to Jaya Bachchan. The story revolved around terrorism where Hrithik Roshan leaves the house and goes on to join a terrorist group while Karisma Kapoor’s character, Fiza sets on a journey to find her lost brother. Both critics and audience praised the actress for her phenomenal performance in the unconventional film. Karisma also bagged a Filmfare trophy for the Best Actress.
Zubeidaa (2001)
Shyam Benegal’s ‘Zubeidaa’ was a periodic drama and was set during the before and afterlife of the India-Pakistan partition. It was loosely based on a true story of a Muslim woman who becomes the second wife of a Rajput King. The role of the queen named Zubeida was played by Karisma Kapoor while the first wife was essayed by Rekha. Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee became the king in the film.
Shakti: The Power (2002)
The movie showcased one of the most powerful performances of Karisma where she single-handedly dominated the whole film despite having ace actors like Nana Patekar, Deepti Naval in the cast. The film was produced by Boney Kapoor and the late Sridevi and starred Boney’s youngest brother Sanjay Kapoor in the male lead. Sanjay plays Karisma’s husband in the film which was the Hindi adaptation of the film Not Without My Daughter. Apart from Karisma, Shah Rukh Khan’s small role was also very well praised by the fans.
