22 Years of Chameli: Kareena Kapoor Khan Reflects on Her Bold Role
Entertainment: On the 22nd anniversary of Chameli, Kareena Kapoor Khan opened up about taking on one of the boldest roles of her career. She told the writer, “I don’t think I was ready to do such a bold role at the start of my career.” A few months earlier, director Deepa Mehta had approached Kareena through the writer for the role of a widow in water.
22 Years of Chameli:After their meeting, Kareena said, “Deepa and I clicked instantly. She is straightforward, open, friendly, and doesn’t like pretenses. We are quite alike. My mother, who came along to the meeting, also liked her very much. I had never worked with Rahul Khanna before. I think we’ll make a great pair; don’t you agree?”
With Chameli, Kareena had no room for excuses. The late producer Pritish Nandy once said, “Bebo (Kareena) was at a stage in her career filled with glamour and money. It was the right time for her to grow as an actor. She should do at least one film every year that challenges her craft. Chameli gave her a small but significant step in that direction, and I am proud that my production house played a role in it.”
22 Years of Chameli:Kareena herself cherished the experience of working in Chameli. She portrayed a realistic, raw prostitute, not the sanitized versions often seen in Hindi cinema. Her character was foul-mouthed, street-smart, and unapologetically in charge of her work—showing a side of life and womanhood rarely depicted on screen.
