From Poo to Geet – Kareena Kapoor Khan’s 6 career-defining roles in Bollywood movies

Kareena Kapoor’s roles as Poo and Geet have become pop culture touchstones in India. Adding to these roles, here are 6 career-defining roles that shot Kareena Kapoor to stardom.

Kareena Kapoor Khan’s career-defining roles. (Image Pinterest)

New Delhi: On the occasion of Kareena Kapoor Khan’s 44th birthday, we’re taking a deep dive into her most iconic Bollywood roles that shaped her career. Kareena’s versatility has never been questioned – be it bold and fun-loving characters or glamourous but sad roles, Kareena Kapoor Khan has done it all. Was Kareena always a hit-maker or were movies like Jab We Met a shot in the dark? Here are Kareena Kapoor’s most iconic roles that led to her eventual rise to superstardom.

Kareena Kapoor Khan’s new movie

The Buckingham Murders (2024) – Jaspreet Bhamra

Kareena’s most recent release, The Buckingham Murders is dubbed as the best performance of her career. Playing the role of Jaspreet Bhamra, a grief-ridden police officer, Kareena’s delivery is intense. Reviewers believe that Kareena is ‘on the top of her game’ in this movie. Currently in theatres, The Buckingham Murders has earned Rs 9.22 crore in worldwide collection.

Kareena Kapoor’s most iconic roles

Now, let’s take a brief journey to understand Kareena Kapoor’s transition from a rookie to one of the biggest stars in Bollywood.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) – Poo

In the early beginnings of her career, Kareena Kapoor bagged a role in YRF’s blockbuster movie, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, with a star-studded cast. Despite being surrounded by well-established artists in the film, Kareena’s role as Poo is talked about to this day. Poo is a glamorous and stunning woman who has all the boys go crazy. It was not just Kareena’s looks but her unique touch that made Poo a well-loved character. It is to be noted that Kareena’s debut film Refugee was only shot a year earlier (2000) than K3G.

Chameli (2003) – Chameli

Completely switching gears, Kareena Kapoor played the role of a bold and smart prostitute in the 2003 movie Chameli. Only at the age of 22, Kareena Kapoor managed to capture the audience like no other. Despite being unsure about the role at first, Kareena took on the challenge and perfected the role.

Jab We Met (2007)- Geet

We cannot mention Kareena Kapoor without talking about her role as Geet in Jab We Met. Geet, to this day, is a pop culture touchstone in Bollywood. Geet’s erratic yet adorable personality in contrast to Aditya’s devastated one, is possibly one of the best rom-com pairings in Hindi cinema. Kareena Kapoor’s on-screen chemistry with Shahid Kapoor and her lively demeanour as Geet make for a perfect romantic comedy.

Tashan (2008) – Pooja Singh

Kareena Kapoor, in an interview, revealed that she was shooting for Jab We Met and Tashan almost back-to-back. While she was excited for her role as Geet, the actress put all her bets on Tashan becoming a hit. Although no one remembers Tashan as a movie in this day and age, Kareena’s iconic size-zero body as Pooja is still a hit among fans. It is unbelievable that Kareena brought her body weight down to 48 kilograms for the film to challenge herself.

Heroine (2012) -Mahi Arora

Kareena Kapoor’s role as Mahi Arora in the 2012 movie, Heroine, was another iconic addition to her career. Playing the role of an unstable and problematic film actress whose career is declining, Kareena knocked it out of the park in this film. Heroine was Kareena’s most ‘scandalous’ role in her career and it was a hit!

Apart from these characters, Kareena has played various other roles that have been loved by her fans and the general audience. But, these 6 characters might as well have changed the trajectory of her career. Can you imagine someone else playing these roles the way Kareena did?