Karisma Kapoor

Karisma Kapoor (born 25 June 1974) is a Hindi film actress. A top-earning star of the 1990s, she often portrayed fashionable, modern characters. She was the first woman in the Kapoor family to work in movies, ending a long-standing family tradition. Her awards include a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards.

Kapoor was born in Bombay to actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita. She started her film career with a lead role in the modest hit *Prem Qaidi* (1991). She then appeared in several successful films: the dramas *Jigar* (1992) and *Anari* (1993); the comedies *Raja Babu* (1994), *Andaz Apna Apna* (1994), *Coolie No. 1* (1995), and *Saajan Chale Sasural* (1996); and the thriller *Jeet* (1996). The 1996 romance *Raja Hindustani* was a major turning point, winning her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She later won the National Film Award and another Filmfare Award for playing a passionate dancer in *Dil To Pagal Hai* (1997). She found further success in David Dhawan’s romantic comedies *Hero No.1* (1997), *Biwi No.1* (1999), and *Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge* (2000), as well as Sooraj Barjatya’s family drama *Hum Saath-Saath Hain* (1999). She earned Filmfare Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) awards for her title roles in *Fiza* (2000) and *Zubeidaa* (2001).

Kapoor took a break from full-time acting in 2004. Since then, she has worked occasionally, including in the web series *Mentalhood* (2020) and the mystery *Murder Mubarak* (2024). She also played the lead in the TV series *Karishma: The Miracles of Destiny* (2003–2004) and has judged several reality shows.

She was married to businessman Sunjay Kapur from 2003 to 2016; they have two children. Her personal life has received extensive media coverage. Besides acting, she performs in stage shows and is a well-known brand endorser.

**Early life and background**

Karisma Kapoor was born on 25 June 1974 in Bombay, Maharashtra, to actors Babita (née Shivdasani) and Randhir Kapoor. Her younger sister, Kareena Kapoor, is also a film actress and is married to actor Saif Ali Khan. Her paternal grandfather was actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor; her maternal grandfather was actor Hari Shivdasani. Her great-grandfather was actor Prithviraj Kapoor. Her uncles include actors Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, and her aunt is actress Neetu Singh. Her first cousins are actor Ranbir Kapoor and businessman Nikhil Nanda. Actors Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor are her grand-uncles, and the late actress Sadhana was her mother’s first cousin.

At home, she is called “Lolo,” a name her mother took from Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida. Her paternal and maternal grandparents came from Peshawar, Lyallpur, and Karachi, moving to Bombay for film work before the Partition of India. She is of Punjabi descent on her father’s side and Sindhi and British descent on her mother’s side.

Inspired by actresses Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, Kapoor wanted to act from childhood. She often went to award ceremonies and film sets with her parents. However, her father disapproved of women working in films, believing it conflicted with family duties. This caused a rift between her parents, and they separated in 1988. Kapoor and her sister were raised by their mother, who worked several jobs until Kapoor began her film career. Her parents reconciled in 2007. Kapoor attended Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai and later studied briefly at Sophia College for Women. She left college to act, saying she needed the income.

**Career**

**Debut and early roles (1991–1995)**

Kapoor made her acting debut at age 16 in the 1991 romantic drama *Prem Qaidi*, opposite newcomer Harish Kumar. The film was a moderate box-office success, but critics gave mixed reviews; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama called her performance “mechanical.” Her next five films in 1992—*Police Officer*, *Jaagruti*, *Nishchaiy*, *Sapne Sajan Ke*, and *Deedar*—all flopped. *Sapne Sajan Ke* earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Female Debut. *Jaagruti* and *Nishchaiy* were her first collaborations with Salman Khan, and *Deedar* was her first with Akshay Kumar. She then starred in the action drama *Jigar* (1992) and the romantic drama *Anari* (1993), both box-office hits. *Jigar* was her first of many films with Ajay Devgn, while *Anari* cast her as a princess who falls for her servant (played by Daggubati Venkatesh).

Her next four 1993 releases—*Muqabla* (her first film with Govinda), *Sangraam*, *Shaktiman*, and *Dhanwaan*—fared poorly, except for *Muqabla*. In 1994, she had nine releases; four—*Prem Shakti*, *Dulaara*, *Andaz*, and *Aatish*—failed critically and commercially. Her first hit that year was David Dhawan’s comedy *Raja Babu*.