Karisma Kapoor

Karisma Kapoor (pronounced [kar-iz-maː kəˈpuːr]; born 25 June 1974) is an Indian actress who primarily appears in Hindi films. One of the leading and highest-paid actresses of the 1990s, Kapoor is a recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards.

A part of the Kapoor family, Kapoor was born to actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita. She made her acting debut with a leading role in the moderately successful Prem Qaidi (1991). She went on to star in box office hits such as 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 blockbuster romance Raja Hindustani marked a turning point in Kapoor's career, earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She later won the National Film Award and Filmfare Award for her role as a passionate dancer in the musical romance Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). Kapoor achieved further success by featuring as the female in three David Dhawan's successful romantic comedies—Hero No.1 (1997), Biwi No.1 (1999), and Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge (2000) and in Sooraj Barjatya's highly successful family drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). She won the Filmfare Best Actress and Best Actress Critics awards at Filmfare for her titular roles in the dramas Fiza (2000) and Zubeidaa (2001).

Kapoor took a sabbatical from full-time acting in 2004 and has since appeared sporadically, including the web series Mentalhood (2020) and the mystery thriller Murder Mubarak (2024). She also played the titular character in the television series Karishma: The Miracles of Destiny (2003–2004) and has served as a judge on several reality shows.

Kapoor was married to businessman Sunjay Kapur from 2003–2016; the couple had two children. Her personal life has been extensively covered in the media. In addition to acting, Kapoor participates in stage shows and is a prominent celebrity endorser.

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

Kapoor is informally called as "Lolo" at her home. According to Kapoor, the name Lolo was derived after her mother made a passing reference to the Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida. Her paternal and maternal grandparents were from Peshawar, Lyallpur and Karachi respectively, who moved to Bombay for their film careers before the partition of India. Kapoor is of Punjabi descent on her father's side, and on her mother's side she is of Sindhi and British descent.

Particularly inspired by the work of actresses Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, Kapoor was keen on pursuing acting since childhood. While growing up, Kapoor regularly attended award ceremonies and accompanied her parents to film sets. However, despite her family background, her father disapproved of women working in films, because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family. This led to a conflict between her parents and they separated in 1988. She and her sister Kareena were raised by their mother, who worked several jobs to raise them, until she made her debut in films as an actress. The couple reconciled in 2007, after living separately for several years. Kapoor studied at the Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, and later, for a few months, at Sophia College for Women, Mumbai. Kapoor later said that she left college to pursue acting for financial support.

Kapoor made her acting debut in 1991 at the age of 16 with the romantic drama Prem Qaidi, opposite debutant Harish Kumar. Upon release, the film emerged as a moderate box office success and received mixed reviews from critics, as did Kapoor's performance, with Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama describing it as "mechanical". The following year, Kapoor's first five releases—Police Officer, Jaagruti, Nishchaiy, Sapne Sajan Ke and Deedar—flopped at the box office. Sapne Sajan Ke earned her a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Jaagruti and Nishchaiy marked her first two collaborations with Salman Khan, while Deedar marked her first collaboration with Akshay Kumar. She next starred in the action drama Jigar (1992), followed by the romantic drama Anari (1993), both of which emerged as box office hits and among the highest-grossing films of their respective years. Jigar marked Kapoor's first of several collaborations with Ajay Devgn, while Anari featured her in the leading role of Rajnandini, a princess who falls in love with her poor servant (played by Daggubati Venkatesh).