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Katrina Kaif (pronounced [k@|t.ri:na: |kE:f]; born Katrina Turquotte, also spelt Turcotte; 16 July 1983) is a British Indian film actress and model. She is primarily known for her work in Bollywood films, though has also appeared in Telugu and Malayalam films. In addition to being one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses, Kaif is cited in the media as one of India's most attractive celebrities.
Born in Hong Kong, Kaif and her family lived in numerous countries for varying lengths of time before she migrated to India. Kaif received her first modelling assignment as a teenager, and later pursued a career as a fashion model. During a show in London, Kaizad Gustad cast her in his film Boom (2003), a critical and commercial failure. While shooting for the picture in India, Kaif began receiving other assignments and soon established a successful career as a model, though filmmakers were hesitant to cast her due to her poor grasp of Hindi. After appearing in a successful Telugu film Malliswari (2004), she earned commercial success in Bollywood with the romantic comedies Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) and Namastey London (2007), of which the latter garnered her praise for her performance. She followed with a series of financially successful male-centric films, but was criticised for having little to do in them.
A performance oriented role in the 2009 terrorism drama New York was more well received, earning her praise and a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. She subsequently featured in more prominent roles in successful films like Raajneeti (2010), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) and Ek Tha Tiger (2012). She also featured briefly in the action thriller Dhoom 3 (2013), which emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics for her acting prowess, she has established herself as a commercially successful actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting, Kaif is involved with her mother's charity and participates in stage shows. She is known to be particularly guarded about her personal life, of which has been the subject of extensive media scrutiny. Kaif's background has also been the topic of much discussion, having being accused by various sources of fabricating her history.
Early life and background
Kaif with her mother at the Indian version of People's Choice Awards, 2012
Kaif's mother, at a young age, decided to "dedicate her life to social causes," which led to the relocation of their family to numerous countries for varying lengths of time. After her birth in Hong Kong, Kaif and her family moved to China, and then to Japan. From there, she went to France when she was eight, and thereafter lived for a few months at a time in Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, and other European countries. Subsequently, Kaif moved with her family to Hawaii and eventually to her mother's home country of England. Due to their constant relocation, Kaif and her siblings were home-schooled by a series of tutors. Though it is often assumed that Kaif grew up in London, she lived there for only three years before migrating to India. According to Kaif, after relocating to India, she changed her surname to that of her father's as she believed it would be easier to pronounce.
Kaif's background is enshrouded in mystery; several sources have questioned the authenticity of her claims of having a Kashmiri father. In a 2011 interview to Mumbai Mirror, Ayesha Shroff (producer of Kaif's debut film Boom) accused Kaif of fabricating her history. She said: "We created an identity for her. She was this pretty young English girl, and we gave her the Kashmiri father and thought of calling her Katrina Kazi. We thought we'd give her some kind of Indian ancestry, to connect with the audience [...] But then we thought that Kazi sounded too... religious? We were to introduce her to the press and at that time, Mohammad Kaif was at the top, and so we said, Katrina Kaif sounds really great." Kaif responded by calling her comments "hurtful."
Career
Modelling and film debut (up to 2003)
Kaif's successful modelling stint led to immense anticipation surrounding her Bollywood debut. Boom (2003) had its first screening at the Cannes Film Festival and was also heavily promoted at the event. However, ten days prior to the film's release, it was reported that pirated VCDs of the film's uncut version were being sold on the black market. Boom failed commercially as well as critically. Kaif's enactment of a supermodel ensnared in the Mumbai underworld was not well received, with Ziya U. Salam of The Hindu attributing the poor performances of the film's leading ladies to "the vacuity of their expressions." Post-release, Kaif was written off due to her poor Hindi and thick British accent. On its failure, Kaif dismissed the film, saying: "I don't count Boom among important happenings in my life. When I signed this film, I didn't know much about India and its film audience. I got to know later that the film had major flaws in terms of script and presentation."
Kaif was later offered a number of modelling assignments, though filmmakers were hesitant to cast her due to her poor command in Hindi; in one such incident, she was unceremoniously removed from the film Saaya. Subsequently, Kaif began working on her diction through Hindi classes.
Breakthrough and initial success (2004-06)
After the failure of her first Bollywood venture, Kaif took on the Telugu film Malliswari (2004). Cast opposite Daggubati Venkatesh, the film saw Kaif play the titular role of a princess--heiress to INR 7 billion (US$120 million)--who is forced to flee from her murderous caretaker. For the film, she reportedly received INR 7.5 million (US$120,000), the highest amount paid to an actress in the South industry at the time of release. Despite negative reviews for her acting, the film emerged as an economic success.
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In 2006, she was paired opposite Akshay Kumar for the first time (the duo later appeared in numerous successful films together) in Raj Kanwar's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, which was financially unsuccessful. The film tells the story of two like-minded strangers who fall in love despite being engaged to other people. A reviewer writing for Sify said that "Katrina is passably competent in a tailor-made role, giving a mild emotional spin to a couple of scenes" but added that she was overshadowed by the film's supporting actresses. Kaif also appeared alongside Mammootty in a Malayalam film--the crime thriller Balram vs. Tharadas--which was a profitable production. Rishi Raj Singh of The Hindu was impressed with Kaif's performance and published that she is "marvellous" in her role.
Commercial success (2007-08)
The year 2007 brought about a change in Kaif's acting career, when she appeared in four Hindi films, all of which were successful at the box office. In an interview with The Indian Express, Kaif opined that her starring role in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's romantic comedy Namastey London marked an important milestone, claiming that "for the first time, [she] had a dominating role" and "got a good response from the industry." She used her experiences in London as a reference point for her role as a spoilt British Indian girl who is intent on marrying her self-centred British boyfriend despite her parents' disapproval. Critics were divided in the film itself, though Kaif's performance attracted favourable reviews. Sukanya Verma wrote that she "suits the role to the T" and "brings the zingy mix of her character alive with style and substance." Kaif's chemistry with lead actor Akshay Kumar also generated immense appreciation, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India describing their pairing as "refreshing." Kaif with Akshay Kumar on the sets of Welcome (2007); the duo received appreciation for their pairing and appeared in several successful films together
She next appeared in a supporting role for the Anil Sharma-directed melodramatic sports film Apne, that featured Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kirron Kher and Shilpa Shetty in prominent roles. After Apne, she reunited with director David Dhawan for the comedy Partner (an unofficial remake of Hitch), where she starred alongside Salman Khan, Govinda and Lara Dutta. With a worldwide revenue of INR 1.03 billion (US$17 million), the film emerged a blockbuster. Kaif's final release of the year was Anees Bazmee's multistarrer comedy Welcome, in which she was cast alongside Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Mallika Sherawat and Anil Kapoor. The film earned little praise from critics but became Kaif's second consecutive blockbuster, with worldwide earnings of INR 1.16 billion (US$19 million). Despite these films performing well at the box office, Kaif's roles were noted to be similar by Shoma Chaudhury of Tehelka, who called her "unabashed eye-candy", and added that she was "a pretty prop in Welcome" and "more of the same in Partner and Apne."
The following year, Kaif collaborated with Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy for Abbas-Mustan's action thriller Race. The film follows the story of two stepbrothers-turned-rivals who are in contention of their father's insurance payment. Kaif enacted the role of Ranveer's (played by Khan) double-crossing secretary and the lover of his stepbrother (played by Khanna). Race continued Kaif's slew of successes, though Nikhat Kazmi noted that "Katrina is too pale as the blousy secretary." She was more appreciative of the film, praising its "super cool look [and] testosterone-high action sequences." Kaif was next seen in Anees Bazmee's action comedy Singh Is Kinng, as Akshay Kumar's love interest and Ranvir Shorey's fiancรฉe. With worldwide earnings of INR 1.25 billion (US$21 million), the film was declared a super hit, making it Kaif's sixth consecutive success at the box office. Kaif earned mixed reviews for her performance; in a particularly critical review, Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN commented that "Katrina Kaif is an eyesore [...] her acting so weak you want to urge her to watch everyone from Madhubala to Madhuri so she might pick up a few tricks."
Kaif's final release of 2008--the Subhash Ghai-directed drama Yuvvraaj--was a major failure at the box office. To prepare for her role as a cellist, Kaif practised playing the instrument alongside orchestra members. Her portrayal of a girl forbidden by her father from marrying her poor lover was well received by critic Sonia Chopra, who opined that "Katrina is wonderful, plays the cello convincingly, and looks ethereal." Despite the film receiving mixed reviews as a whole, its script was added to the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences due to its artistic merit.
During this period, Kaif's voice was often dubbed by dubbing artists such as Mona Ghosh Shetty, since she was inarticulate in Hindi and other Indian languages. While Kaif was a part of a string of successful movies at this stage, film critics observed that she had little to do as her films were generally male-centric. She also received mostly negative reviews for her acting prowess. On her series of glamorous roles, Kaif reflected that her "first few films were really a process of learning [...] There was no target."
New York and other roles (2009-11)
After a string of films in which she was cast merely for her glamour quotient, Kaif's role in the 2009 terrorism drama New York brought her recognition for her acting. The Kabir Khan-directed film narrated the story of three friends and how their lives are changed when one of them is wrongly detained after 9/11. Cast alongside John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kaif portrayed the character of Maya, a college student who is later married to a terrorist. On her role, Kaif remarked that she identified with Maya as she felt similar isolation while growing up in London because of her skin colour. Kaif further opined that she had "played the arm candy in one too many films in the past" and was looking to work in more performance oriented films like New York. The film did well at the box office and received positive reviews. Critic Subhash K. Jha mentioned that Kaif "comes into her own as an actress of substance [...] From the carefree effervescent campus girl to the anguished wife, Katrina makes the journey look plausible all the way." New York earned Kaif her first Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. She also appeared in a cameo for India's first underwater thriller Blue.
Rajkumar Santoshi's hit comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009) saw Kaif star opposite Ranbir Kapoor as an orphan who is forced to marry a rich man against her wishes. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama commented that "Katrina Kaif continues to surprise [...] She scores in both emotional and light scenes," adding that her chemistry with Kapoor is "electrifying." Her final release of the year was in Priyadarshan's multistarrer comedy De Dana Dan, alongside Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Sameera Reddy and Neha Dhupia. Katrina smiling and looking away from the camera Kaif at a promotional event for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 2011
In 2010, Kaif first appeared in Prakash Jha's political thriller Raajneeti. The film, which saw Kaif feature alongside an ensemble cast consisting of Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai and Sarah Thompson, took inspiration from the Indian epic The Mahabharata and Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. Set against the backdrop of Bhopal, the picture narrated the story of a fiercely fought election campaign between two warring parties who attempt to seize power through manipulation, corruption and treachery. Prior to the film's release, the media speculated that Kaif's character was based on Sonia Gandhi; this was denied by Kaif. In preparation for her role as a politician (who was also loosely based on Draupadi), she watched election campaign videos of Priyanka Gandhi in order to study the body language of political figures and their interactions during campaigns. The film met with predominantly positive reviews; Rajeev Masand found the film to be "thrilling and gripping," though in one review, Namrata Joshi complained about the poor depiction of Raajneeti's female characters. On Kaif's performance, Nikhat Kazmi mentioned that she is "carefree and camera-unconscious." The movie received a total collection of INR 1.4 billion (US$23 million) at the box office, and emerged as a blockbuster. She also appeared opposite Akshay Kumar in Farah Khan's slapstick comedy Tees Maar Khan, as an aspiring actress. Despite overwhelmingly poor reviews from critics, and negative media perception, the film was moderately successful at the box office. Kaif's performance was not received well, with Renuka Rao of Daily News and Analysis saying that her "drama queen act is performed [...] poorly," although mentioning that Kaif "does full justice" to her popular item number "Sheila Ki Jawani." For her 2010 appearances, Kaif was awarded the Screen Award for Best Actress (Popular Choice).
In 2011, she was seen alongside Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin in Zoya Akhtar's coming-of-age dramedy Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The film narrates the story of three friends on a bachelor trip, and how the workaholic nature of one of these friends is overcome with the help of Laila (played by Kaif). The movie emerged as a box office hit, with worldwide earnings of INR 1.53 billion (US$25 million). The film and Kaif's performance were well received by critics. Richard Kuipers of Variety commented that she is "delightful as the sweet-natured girl who inspires everyone to look in the mirror and do something about it." Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was one of the most awarded films of the year, and received numerous Best Film accolades at major Indian award functions.
She next featured in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) opposite Imran Khan and Ali Zafar. Kaif was cast as Dimple Dixit, a "talkative" and "unpredictable" girl; she described the role as challenging as the character's personality traits contrasted with her own. While the film earned mixed reviews, Kaif was generally praised for her portrayal. In the book Mother Maiden Mistress: Women in Hindi Cinema, 1950-2010; it is mentioned that Kaif's role was one of the more interesting female characters of the year, and Gaurav Malani of The Economic Times published that the film is watchable because of "Katrina's live-wire energy wherein she never goes overboard and keeps bustling with vivacity through the runtime." For her performance, Kaif received her second Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress category.
Recent work (2012-present)
In 2012, Kaif first appeared in a popular item number for Agneepath entitled "Chikni Chameli." The song was shot over ten days and saw her dance to a type of Maharashtrian folk dance called Lavani. Kaif commented on the song: "It was hard work. It was very fast and it was not a style I was used to, but I took it as a challenge." She next appeared in Kabir Khan's espionage thriller Ek Tha Tiger as Zoya, an ISI agent who falls in love with an Indian RAW agent. Shubhra Gupta of the The Indian Express wrote of Kaif's portrayal: "Katrina is an able, animated foil to Salman, her long legs making her leaps and kicks credible," and "brings the right degree of playfulness" to her character. The film received predominantly positive reviews, with Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis calling the movie "smart and stylish." Kaif's reunion with Salman Khan was widely publicised as it was their first film together after their breakup. The film emerged as a hugely successful project; with worldwide earnings of INR 3.1 billion (US$51 million), Ek Tha Tiger became the highest grossing film of the year. Katrina Kaif is standing with her co-stars Kaif (right) with Anushka Sharma and Shahrukh Khan at the premiere of Jab Tak Hai Jaan, 2012
In 2013, Kaif appeared in the action thriller Dhoom 3. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film saw Kaif star as a circus performer alongside Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra. In preparation for her role, Kaif engaged in an intense regime of pilates, functional training and Aerial straps over the course of one year. The movie attracted mixed reviews from critics, as did Kaif's brief role in the film. Deepanjana Pal of Firstpost questioned Kaif's willingness to take on the part, and remarked that "[s]he's barely there in the film." Her performance was more favourably reviewed by Taran Adarsh: "Katrina looks ethereal and her acrobats will catch you unaware. Moving with incredible grace in dance numbers, she's sure to astonish the viewer with her dexterous act no end." Earning over INR 5 billion (US$83 million) worldwide, the film emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.
As of July 2014, Kaif is committed to four projects. She has completed work on Siddharth Anand's action comedy Bang Bang opposite Hrithik Roshan; the film is scheduled to release in October. She is simultaneously filming for Kabir Khan's post 26/11 counter-terrorism drama Phantom with Saif Ali Khan and Anurag Basu's comedy-mystery film Jagga Jasoos alongside Ranbir Kapoor. Principal shooting has also begun for Abhishek Kapoor's adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations entitled Fitoor, where she will play a role based on the character of Estella Havisham with Aditya Roy Kapur and Rekha.
Personal life
Ranbir and Katrina standing with each other Kaif with Ranbir Kapoor at a promotional event for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, 2009
Kaif's personal life has been the subject of extensive reporting by the media. She is known to be reluctant to talk about her romantic life, saying "I have always believed that there is life before marriage and after marriage. Before marriage, whatever you may do, you are termed a single woman and I choose to conduct that part of my life with absolute dignity and discretion." Rumours of a relationship with Salman Khan first emerged in 2003, though it was not until after their breakup in 2010 that Kaif spoke of the affair, remarking that it was her first serious relationship. Despite the breakup, the duo have maintained their friendship, and Kaif credits Khan for giving her confidence and guiding her:
He's had a huge role in my career. There's no doubt about that. I value his opinion. But as a person, Salman has had the biggest impact on my life. I became friends with him when I was young. And his persona is very strong. If I were to look back and see his impact on my life, it's been tremendous.
It was reported that the reason for the breakup was Kaif's growing proximity to Ranbir Kapoor during the filming of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Though this was denied by both Kaif and Kapoor, the nature of their relationship was extensively scrutinised by the media as they were both involved with different people. In August 2013, intimate photographs showing Kapoor and Kaif holidaying in Ibiza were leaked by Stardust; the media saw this as confirmation of their relationship. Following the leak, Kaif sent an open letter to the media, saying that she was "upset, distressed and invaded" by the breach of her privacy. She later admitted that "Ranbir is an extremely important part of [her] life", but refused to comment further on the relationship.
Kaif lives in a rented apartment in Bandra, which she renovated in 2012. While she does not own a house in India, she has bought properties in London. As a British citizen, she works in India on an employment visa. Kaif shares a close relationship with her family, and the lack of a patriarchal figure in her life has resulted in a sense of responsibility towards them: "I feel that I have to care for and provide for anything that my family needs." Kaif holds a strong association with various religions and claims to be a "firm believer in God"; it is said that she visits Siddhivinayak Temple, Mount Mary Church and Dargah Sharif (Sufi shrine) prior to the release of her films.
Off-screen work
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In addition to acting, Kaif has participated in various charitable endeavours. Kaif is actively involved in her mother's charitable trust fund, the Relief Projects India, a nonprofit organisation aimed at rescuing abandoned baby girls and preventing female infanticide. Kaif's winnings from game shows such as 10 Ka Dum and Kaun Banega Crorepati were donated to the charity. In 2009 and 2010, Kaif walked the ramp to raise funds for charity as part of Salman Khan's "Being Human" show. In order to raise funds for a new school in Madurai, Kaif recorded a music album titled "Rhymeskool", which consisted of nursery rhymes composed by A. R. Rahman. In 2011, Kaif visited Jammu to spend time with jawan soldiers as part of NDTV's reality program Jai Jawan. The following year, she visited the Cancer Patients Aid Association to promote awareness of breast and cervical cancer, and presented gifts to cancer survivors.
Kaif has also performed for stage shows. In 2008, she participated in Shahrukh Khan's world concert tour "Temptation Reloaded". Also featuring Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, the show premiered at Amsterdam in June, and had its final show four months later in Dubai's Festival City Arena, where the group performed to an audience of 15,000 people. In 2009, Kaif performed at the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League's second edition alongside Akon at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Four years later, she joined Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Pitbull in Kolkata for the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League's sixth season. For the "Temptations Reloaded" concert of 2013 in Muscat, Kaif performed with Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta to an audience in excess of 18,000. Kaif has also performed to songs picturised on her at various award functions. In 2006, Kaif performed at the Global Indian Film Awards, and two years later she danced to songs of Race at the 9th IIFA Awards in Bangkok. She also performed at the 55th Filmfare Awards in 2010 and 2013 Zee Cine Awards, both in Mumbai.
In the media
Katrina looking away from the camera Kaif at an event for Nakshatra, 2010
An article by India Today published that despite Kaif being unlike the conventional Bollywood heroine she "turned every adversity into opportunity and climbed the slippery pole of stardom." Though she has emerged as one of the most commercially successful actresses of contemporary Bollywood, she has received mixed reviews for her acting prowess. Writing for Firstpost, Anuya Jakatdar felt she needed to "take on role[s] that actually challenge her" and criticised her inclination towards glamorous roles. She is more favourably reviewed for her increasing skill in dance; Yashica Dutt of Hindustan Times called her a "dancing queen" and Meena Iyer of The Times of India said that she had emerged as "one of Bollywood's best dancers." Kaif is particularly known in the media as "pragmatic," "hard-working" and a "go-getter". Vipul Shah--who worked with Kaif in Namastey London and Singh Is Kinng--said of Kaif: "She's extremely passionate about her work and she wants to improve all the time." Kaif's successful career as a Bollywood actress has led to an influx of foreign aspirants seeking to establish themselves in the industry. In 2013, she was the only woman who featured in the Top 10 of the Indian version of Forbes' "Celebrity 100"--a list based on the income and popularity of India's biggest entertainers--with an estimated annual earning of INR 637.5 million (US$11 million).
Kaif is considered one of the most beautiful celebrities in India--her skin, hair and figure have been recognised as some of her distinguishing physical attributes. As such, she has been ranked highly on several polls on the most attractive Indian celebrities. Kaif was named the "World's Sexiest Woman" by FHM five times during 2008-2013, and featured on Verve's list of most powerful women in 2009 and 2010. UK magazine Eastern Eye described her as the "Sexiest Asian Woman" for three consecutive years since 2008, and again in 2013. She topped The Times of India's "Most Desirable Woman" listing in 2010, and was ranked second from 2011-2013. In 2011, Kaif was named "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by the Indian edition of People magazine. She is also one of the most googled names in India.
Kaif is the ambassador of many prominent brands including Slice, Nakshatra, Lux, Panasonic and L'Orรฉal. She is also the first Bollywood actress to have a Barbie doll modelled after herself. In 2012, The Economic Times listed Kaif as one of the most prominent endorsers in India, ranking her second in their list. She is one of India's highest paid celebrity endorsers; in 2014, Hindustan Times reported that she receives INR 50 million (US$830,000) to INR 60 million (US$1.0 million) for each endorsement deal. Kaif is selective over the products she endorses, and says that she discourages misinformation through her product promotions: "[i]t is important for me that the product I endorse, should deliver on its promise."
Galleries of Katrina Kaif
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