Kareena Kapoor Upcoming Movies
Her casual demeanour on this balmy evening perhaps has a lot to do with the fact that Udta Punjab was cleared by the Bombay High Court a few days ago. Prior to that, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had sought a stay on the film, suggesting 89 cuts, including removing references to Punjab. The makers of the film had dug in their heels and the imbroglio had threatened to derail its release on June 17. “I’m happy that it’s releasing on time. Many people don’t want to talk about it, but it’s the way it is in Punjab and you’ll get to see it on the big screen,” she says. The controversy also generated hype for the film, but Kareena isn’t worried about whether the movie lives up to it. “Ultimately, it’s just a film and people should watch it as such,” she shrugs.
This equanimity in her approach is one that she has acquired from her husband, says Kareena. “Saif tells me to cut off from work to foster greater creativity, and he’s right about it. His experiences have taught him a lot and his company, in turn, has helped me relax as a person and get to know a lot more about life than just work,” she says. Acting is her biggest love—“I’d call it passion”—but not an obsession.
That explains why Kareena’s typical week isn’t complete without an off day, a time where she catches any Bollywood movie possible or sits in the balcony and sips tea. “It’s easy in this industry to get wrapped up in work. But, for me, I can relax very easily. I don’t feel restless if I am not working for a certain time. The last film I shot—Ki & Ka—was in February and I promoted it in March. After that, I haven’t done much movie work and I am very happy with the time I’ve spent by myself,” she says. “Saif and I consciously do not keep a chock-a-block schedule. It helps us unwind as well as it enhances companionship.”
It’s perhaps this sense of work-life balance that’s kept Kareena off Hollywood, when her colleagues Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are making a splash in the West. She thinks what Bollywood stars are doing in Hollywood is great, but it’s not for her. “Whenever I am shooting, I need to come back home every 7-10 days.”
Saif Ali Khan’s influence on his wife, however, goes much beyond her relaxed work schedule. The conscious clutter in the drawing room, of paintings and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, will give you an indication of what Mr and Mrs Kapoor Khan are up to on their off days. But the actor is quick to intervene with unself-conscious candour. “These are mostly Saif’s. I am an amateur reader. Out of 200 books here, two are mine and the rest are Saif’s. He is a voracious reader and is completely into non-fiction. I have begun my reading journey with Scandinavian crime writers like Jo Nesbø and Camilla Läckberg,” she says. “And I have a lot to catch up.”