The top 10 Kareena Kapoor Khan performances

POPULAR actress Kareena Kapoor Khan has been entertaining audiences ever since making her movie debut with Refugee in 2000 and gained herself a global fanbase. She celebrates her 41st birthday this week and will receive good wishes from around the world. Eastern Eye decided to celebrate the A-list Bollywood superstar turning a year older on September 21 by putting together a watchlist of her 10 greatest performances, listed in chronological order.

Asoka (2001): The actress delivered the first really powerful performance of her career in the big-budget historical epic based on real life events. She showed real star power with a stunning turn as a warrior princess opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The challenging role coloured by a rainbow of emotions earned her a Filmfare Best Actress nomination.

Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham (2001): The actress succeeded in making her presence felt in a star-studded family drama that had power hitters Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Jaya Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan in the cast. The incendiary turn of a no-nonsense young woman with a fiery temper and hot dance moves burned a permanent mark on the heart of film fans around the world. It earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.

Chameli (2004): The actress took a step back from big commercial blockbusters and glided effortlessly into the title role of a street-smart prostitute in this performance-driven drama. She transformed every aspect of herself with an award-winning performance that showed off her acting range. Such was the impact that it is widely regarded as a major turning point in Kareena’s career.

Dev (2004): The powerful drama is very much about men, played by Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri and Fardeen Khan on a collision course, but that doesn’t stop Kareena getting herself noticed with a performance that acts as a balancing force. Despite being only four years into her career, she shows remarkable maturity with her role and gained herself a Filmfare Critics Award For Best Actress. She was the only cast member from the film to win an acting honour.

Omkara (2006): The Bollywood adaptation of William Shakespeare classic Othello is set in the rural heartlands and sees the actress take on the lead role, inspired by classic literary character Desdemona. She beautifully portrays an innocent young woman, who melts the heart of a hardened criminal and then pays the ultimate price of his jealousy. The atmospheric Vishal Bhardwaj-directed drama would earn her another Filmfare Critics Award For Best Actress.

Jab We Met (2007): The romantic road movie has what is widely regarded as the greatest performance of Kareena’s career. She would win every major Bollywood award for her portrayal of a carefree girl, who gives a disheartened young man a reason to embrace life again. In subsequent years, many leading ladies would cite Geet from Jab We Met as their dream role.

3 Idiots (2009): The record-breaking film was very much about the three male protagonists and that makes Kareena’s award-nominated performance all the more special. She made her presence felt as the younger daughter of the strict college director, who falls in love with his most disruptive student. The image of her on a motorbike in a wedding outfit became iconic and exuded the kind of girl power only she was capable of.

We Are Family (2010): The official remake of 1998 Hollywood movie Stepmom earned the actress a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress award. The pitch-perfect performance saw her portray a young woman on a collision course with her partner’s former wife played beautifully by Kajol and then pushed towards becoming a stepmom when tragedy strikes.

Heroine (2012): Director Madhur Bhandarkar’s dissection of Hindi cinema saw Kareena deliver a dynamite performance as a superstar actress who is battling personal demons, which includes bipolar disorder. She goes through a range of emotions during a rollercoaster role, which would prove to be one of the most challenging of her career.

Udta Punjab (2016): The episodic crime drama looking at the drug problem in Punjab has a series of strong characters connected to the central theme in some way. Kareena adds real gravitas with her portrayal of Dr Preet Sahni and becomes a shining ray of light in a story filled with decidedly dark characters. She would get multiple Best Supporting Actress nominations for her role.