Kareena Kapoor, also known as Kareena Kapoor Khan after her marriage, is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. Born into the Kapoor family, one of the most prominent acting dynasties of Indian cinema, she has been a leading actress in Bollywood since the early 2000s. Known for her versatility across commercial and parallel cinema, she is among the most prolific and highest-paid female actors of her generation.
| Full name | Kareena Kapoor Khan |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 September 1980, Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra |
| Parents | Randhir Kapoor and Babita |
| Sibling | Karisma Kapoor (elder sister) |
| Spouse | Saif Ali Khan (m. 2012) |
| Children | Taimur Ali Khan, Jehangir Ali Khan |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Debut film | Refugee (2000) |
| Family lineage | Granddaughter of Raj Kapoor; great-granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor |
Kareena Kapoor was born in Mumbai to actor Randhir Kapoor and former actress Babita (née Shivdasani). She belongs to the Kapoor film family: her grandfather was Raj Kapoor, her great-grandfather was Prithviraj Kapoor, and her cousins include actors Ranbir Kapoor and the late Rishi Kapoor's wider family network. Her elder sister, Karisma Kapoor, was the first woman in the Kapoor family to take up a full-time acting career.
She studied at Jamnabai Narsee School and Welham Girls' School in Dehradun, and later attended Mithibai College in Mumbai. She briefly studied microcomputers at Harvard Summer School and pursued a course in law before turning to acting. She trained at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute in Mumbai.
Kareena made her acting debut in J. P. Dutta's war film Refugee (2000) opposite Abhishek Bachchan, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She followed it with commercial successes such as Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai (2001), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001) directed by Karan Johar, and Ajnabee (2001).
She received critical acclaim for her performance as a sex worker in Sudhir Mishra's Chameli (2004) and as Dr. Preity Sahay in Dev (2004) directed by Govind Nihalani. Her portrayal of Geet in Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met (2007), opposite Shahid Kapoor, won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and is regarded as one of her signature performances. Other notable films of this period include Omkara (2006), an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, and Tashan (2008).
Kareena consolidated her commercial standing with films such as 3 Idiots (2009) directed by Rajkumar Hirani, Kurbaan (2009), Golmaal 3 (2010), Bodyguard (2011), Ra.One (2011), Agent Vinod (2012), Heroine (2012) directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), and Singham Returns (2014). Several of these were among the highest-grossing Hindi films of their respective years.
After her marriage and the birth of her first child, Kareena returned with films such as Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), Ki & Ka (2016), Veere Di Wedding (2018), Good Newwz (2019), Angrezi Medium (2020), Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), and The Crew (2024). She made her digital streaming debut with Sujoy Ghosh's Jaane Jaan (2023) on Netflix, an adaptation of Keigo Higashino's novel The Devotion of Suspect X.
Kareena has been associated with brands across categories including beauty, apparel, and consumer goods, and has appeared as a judge on television talent shows. She co-authored The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva (2012) and later released Kareena Kapoor Khan's Pregnancy Bible (2021), a guide on pregnancy and motherhood. She has supported UNICEF India campaigns related to nutrition and child rights.
Kareena married actor Saif Ali Khan, son of cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore, on 16 October 2012. The couple have two sons, Taimur (born 2016) and Jehangir (born 2021). She is sometimes referred to in the media by the abbreviation "Bebo".
Kareena has received multiple Filmfare Awards, including Best Female Debut for Refugee and Best Actress for Jab We Met. She has also received nominations and critics' awards for performances in films such as Chameli, Dev, Omkara, and Heroine. She is regarded as one of the most influential figures in contemporary Hindi cinema.
As a fourth-generation member of the Kapoor film family, Kareena represents continuity in one of the oldest dynasties of Indian cinema. Her career is often discussed in the context of changing representations of female protagonists in mainstream Hindi cinema, particularly through roles that combined commercial appeal with character-driven narratives.