Kareena Kapoor Khan, one of Bollywood’s most loved stars, has spent over two decades making deliberate choices about the roles she takes. One of those decisions is steering clear of sex scenes on screen, a stance she recently explained in a conversation with Gillian Anderson for The Dirty Magazine.
Kareena was upfront about her reasons. “I’ve never felt the need to do it,” she said. For her, intimacy doesn’t have to be shown explicitly to tell a compelling story. “I don’t think it’s necessary to push a narrative forward,” she added, making it clear that such scenes have never been part of her creative comfort zone. Unlike many in the industry, she’s never seen them as essential to her craft.
Their discussion touched on how different cultures view on-screen sexuality. Kareena pointed out that Indian audiences and filmmakers are still cautious when it comes to openly discussing or portraying sex and female desire. “We’re just not as open about it,” she said, contrasting the Indian film industry with Western cinema, where such themes are more common and often treated with frankness.
Even without intimate scenes, Kareena has taken on challenging roles. She played a sex worker in Chameli, a performance that marked a significant turning point in her career. “It was a role that helped me understand my own sense of confidence and sensuality,” she recalled. That character didn’t require explicit content to convey depth or complexity.
Kareena Kapoor opens up about her decision to avoid intimate scenes, calling them “just not necessary''Getty Images
While Kareena’s early career featured a few bold moments in films like Kurbaan and Fida, she has since drawn clear boundaries. She believes respect for the portrayal of sexuality on screen should come from a genuine understanding of its human aspect, not just for shock or spectacle.
Gillian Anderson engages Kareena Kapoor in an honest conversation about on-screen intimacy and evolving rolesGetty Images
Kareena was last seen in Singham Again and is rumoured to be working on a new project with Meghna Gulzar. As for Gillian Anderson, she’s gearing up for her next series, The Abandons. Both actors, in different ways, are truly redefining the choices women can make in their careers.
