20 Years Of Kareena Kapoor Khan – The Actress On Her Top 5 Roles

To celebrate her 20^th year in the movies, Kareena Kapoor Khan spoke to Anupama Chopra about her 5 most memorable performances. From Jab We Met to Omkara, the actress broke down what went into creating some of her most unforgettable characters, what made them stand apart and how they shaped her filmography.

Edited Excerpts:

Poo From Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

'Karan Johar was acting out all the scenes. He was acting every beat out because I think somewhere Poo's energy is a bit like Karan – flamboyant, lovable and all heart. I think he knew this character the best and somewhere I was just following him. Actually, it was one character where the director performed each shot for me and I literally just followed.'

Dolly From Omkara

'It was a great shoot because everyone was just so happy that we were making this film and everybody was so secure with their parts. Whether it was Konkona or Saif or anyone, everybody was really confident because for the first time you had six actors playing strong parts in a story. There was no insecurity. And we were all so excited to work with Vishal Bharadwaj and it's sad that I haven't got that opportunity with him again because I truly think that the way he projects that world is his forte …and he makes even an urban girl like me become that. He obviously and truly is a master at his work and what he does.'

Geet From Jab We Met

'I was shooting a film called Tashan at the same time and I was actually giving the Jab We Met team that treatment of 'listen, I am working with Yash Raj Films, I am doing a film with Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan where I'm playing the main part. I have become size zero and I am gonna wear a bikini and I am gonna kill it'. That was my vibe when I was on the set of Jab We Met. I was like 'that (Tashan) is my main passion project that is gonna make me, this (Jab We Met) I am just shooting and yeah I am having fun but that is the film that's gonna change my life and I am going to become like Uma Thurman from Kill Bill.'

It was actually Shahid who said I should hear the script of this film and he was like 'it's amazing and the girl's part is amazing and you should do it'. Of course, after that, destiny had its own plans and life took its course and a lot happened in the making of this film and Tashan and our lives kind of went separate ways and this beauty of a movie came out of it. I think we had to do this movie at this time and I was doing Tashan and I met Saif. And I did Tashan and thought it's going to change my career and this (Jab We Met) is gonna change my life. But this actually changed my career and that actually changed my life.'

Mahi From Heroine

'I'm glad this is in the top 5 characters because I feel my performance didn't get its due. I gave it my all. I completely gave in to the part and I think that people and the audience at that time weren't ready to see me be so out there. It is slightly negative and it can leave you slightly unnerved and the way Madhur Bhandarkar made it was uncomfortable because it was maybe slightly out there and bizarre…but that is the kind of film that Madhur has always made and I believed in the world. It's about the life of an actress and I think people didn't want to see a few hidden truths which were in the film and especially a mainstream actor doing it.'

Preet From Udta Punjab

'I think it was just a brave film. Honestly, when I was offered the film and heard it on a script level, I knew Alia and Shahid's were the tracks of the film and mine was a parallel track. Of course, with Preet's character, I felt it took the story ahead… but they had all the empathy and sympathy. When I read the script and knew it was their film, I asked myself – do I still want to be part of this world? For sure. Even if I am not the central character of the film … there was something about Preet and I was like 'no I want to do it. I want to be a part of this movie which is saying so much and to seeing me in this setup will be also very very different."