Karishma Kapoor

She is the heartthrob of millions. This beautiful, talented, bubbly and down to earth actress has offered tinsel world many hits and has had a very chequered career. With her debut film "Prem Qaidi" Karishma entered this film industry but has not even once let anything come between her way to success and in the past twelve years earned a position, which she very much deserves. Lets see what she has to say about her future and most important about settling down in life with her heartthrob Abhishek.

Excerpts from an interview by Seasonsindia Correspondent Smita Kale.

First and foremost Karishma tell me how do you feel having so much fame, success and appreciation.
Well I feel great. Who wont when I have put in so much of hard work and labour. Initially when my films used to do badly at the box office I used to feel let down but then something in me used to tell me that if you are talented you would shine some day. I just had to concentrate on my work and pick the best movies. Rest is history.

Why have you decided to do off-beat movies of the likes of Fiza and Zubeida?
As an actress, I am happy I am getting to play diverse roles. I am glad that directors like Shyam Benegal and Khalid Mohammad offered me female-oriented films like Zubeida and Fiza. But I am not ruling out commercial films entirely. My desire as of now is to maintain a balance between both the genres. I am keen on doing those off beat films, which excite me and inspire me and bring out the actress in me. However, to survive in this industry it is not enough to work only in such films and fail to provide audiences with what they desire. So I will do some hard-core commercial films as well. And I really enjoy working in off-beat films. I have so much to offer as an actress.

Is it true that you are doing a film with Shyam Benegal once again?
Yes. I am now all set to do a new film with Shyam Benegal. Actually Shyamji had offered to cast me in two of his films but I am working in only one. I hope that it will be even better than Zubeida. I am playing the role of a young girl who matures after she meets with a grave accident, which changes her entirely, and the way she looks at life itself. It's a very emotional movie and the character is very intense.

Your recent release Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya didn't do so well at the box office. What do you think went wrong?
Well, this is one thing that we can never predict. After all it's the audience who has to decide. All we can do is to put in our best. But according to me it is one of the best films I have ever done. I loved my character in the movie. I play the role of Pooja Kashyap. It was quite a tough role to play, and very complex, with various layers within it. My character was very human and down to earth and people, especially women among the audience, have definitely been able to identify themselves with her. But still I am satisfied.

What attracted you to the role when Dharamesh offered it to you?
What I liked the best about the role when Dharamesh offered it to me was its complexity and at the same time purity and innocence. Although Pooja is romantic and an idealist who's willing and ready to give up her exciting career for the sake of true love, she also forgets that there is a very thin line between ardent love and maniac obsession and possessiveness. In short, the role to me represents the maturing of Karisma from a young girl who was being slot in standard romantic roles to a mature actress who can be trusted to tackle a complex and mature character.

How was it working with both Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan?
It was fun doing the film and I enjoyed working with both of them. It was also great to get to do quality work with Abhishek for the first time. He is the kind of person who likes to have fun while working on the sets, but at the same time concentrates on his work and is dedicated to the core. For Abhishek, whether it is a hit or not, HMBPK will definitely prove to be a turning point in his career since he has tackled a very mature role, which belies his age.

Rumours are that you are planning to finally tie the knot with Abhishek this year?
What rubbish! Who keeps spreading these rumours? At this point of my career, when the going is good as far as I'm concerned, why should I spoil things by going ahead and getting married? I am not against the institution of marriage - getting married is wonderful. As and when I decide to get married, I would be proud of the fact and would not mind shouting from the rooftops. I am a very honest person and would be the last on earth to lie about something so important as marriage! But as for now-it's out of the question.