Kareena Kapoor Khan (born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. A member of the Kapoor film family, she is among the highest-paid actresses in India and is known for her commercial success and versatility across mainstream entertainers and character-driven films. Popularly referred to by her nickname Bebo, she has received several Filmfare Awards over a career spanning more than two decades.
| Full name | Kareena Kapoor Khan |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 September 1980, Bombay (now 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 | Refugee (2000) |
| Family lineage | Granddaughter of Raj Kapoor; great-granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor |
Kareena Kapoor was born in Mumbai into the Kapoor family, one of the most prominent dynasties of Indian cinema. Her father Randhir Kapoor and grandfather Raj Kapoor were both actors and filmmakers, while her mother Babita and elder sister Karisma Kapoor are also actresses. She was educated at Jamnabai Narsee School and Welham Girls' School, Dehradun, and later studied microbiology at Mithibai College in Mumbai before pursuing a course in commercial law at the Government Law College, Mumbai. She subsequently trained at Kishore Namit Kapoor's acting institute before entering films.
Kapoor made her acting debut opposite Abhishek Bachchan in J. P. Dutta's Refugee (2000), for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She followed this with commercial successes including Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai (2001), Yaadein (2001) and the ensemble family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), directed by Karan Johar. Her role as the fashionable Poo in the latter film became iconic in popular culture.
Her performance as a courtesan in Sudhir Mishra's Chameli (2004) marked a turning point. She earned wider critical acclaim for Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006), Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, in which she played Dolly Mishra. Jab We Met (2007), directed by Imtiaz Ali, brought her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role as the spirited Geet. Other successes of the period include Tashan (2008), Golmaal Returns (2008) and 3 Idiots (2009), the last becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films of its time.
Kapoor featured in commercially successful films such as Bodyguard (2011), Ra.One (2011), Agent Vinod (2012) and Singham Returns (2014). She received critical praise for Heroine (2012), Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012) and the social drama Udta Punjab (2016), in which she played a doctor working with drug addicts in Punjab. Her role in Veere Di Wedding (2018), a female-led ensemble, was noted for its commercial appeal among urban audiences.
She appeared in Good Newwz (2019), Angrezi Medium (2020) and Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), opposite Aamir Khan. She made her debut as a producer and lead in Jaane Jaan (2023), a Netflix mystery thriller directed by Sujoy Ghosh, based on Keigo Higashino's novel The Devotion of Suspect X. The film marked her first streaming release.
Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan, son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, on 16 October 2012 in Mumbai. The couple have two sons, Taimur (born 2016) and Jehangir (born 2021). She has authored books on pregnancy and nutrition, including The Pregnancy Bible (2021), co-written with nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar.
Beyond acting, Kapoor has been associated with brand endorsements for major Indian and international consumer companies and has worked with UNICEF on issues related to child nutrition and education in India. She has also appeared as a host on the chat show What Women Want on Ishq 104.8 FM.
Kapoor has received multiple Filmfare Awards, including Best Female Debut for Refugee, Best Actress (Critics) for Chameli and Omkara, and Best Actress for Jab We Met. She has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list on multiple occasions.
Kapoor is regarded as one of the leading actresses of her generation in Hindi cinema, noted for blending commercial mainstream cinema with parallel and character-driven projects. Her sustained career across two decades, continued box-office relevance after marriage and motherhood, and her position within the Kapoor family lineage have made her a significant figure in contemporary Indian popular culture.