Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor's romance was once the talk of the town, with their chemistry winning the hearts of fans across the nation. Their love story seemed to play out like a film itself, but when the couple unexpectedly parted ways, it sent shockwaves through their admirers. Recently, Kareena spoke candidly about this phase in her life, discussing her separation from Shahid and her fateful first encounter with Saif Ali Khan. She also shared reflections on two significant films that defined both her career and personal life—Jab We Met and Tashan.
A Turning Point After Jab We Met
In a revealing conversation with film critic Anupama Chopra, Kareena Kapoor Khan opened up about how her life took a sharp turn following the tremendous success of Jab We Met. At the time, she was immersed in maintaining a "size zero" physique, as she was simultaneously shooting for Tashan, an ambitious action-packed film co-starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. Produced by Yash Raj Films, Tashan marked Kareena's first foray into an action-oriented role, with her lead performance being a crucial milestone in her career.
Kareena admitted that she had no expectations of Jab We Met becoming a colossal hit nor did she foresee Tashan underperforming at the box office. She had been deeply invested in Tashan, believing it would be her defining cinematic moment, especially given the rigorous preparation it required, including intense training for action sequences and her much-discussed bikini scene. The contrast in the reception of both films, however, left her stunned.
Coping with Career and Personal Shifts
Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Jab We Met premiered in 2007 to critical acclaim and widespread adulation from audiences, quickly cementing Kareena's place as one of Bollywood’s finest actresses. In contrast, Tashan, which released the following year, failed to meet expectations. The divergence in the success of these two films profoundly impacted Kareena. She confessed to battling depression for six months after Tashan's failure, finding herself in a state of emotional turmoil despite the roaring success of Jab We Met.
It was during the filming of Tashan that she first met Saif Ali Khan. Though Kareena had initially placed high hopes on Tashan as her career-defining film, it ended up being the project that brought a major transformation to her personal life. She and Saif grew close during the shoot, and this newfound relationship coincided with her breakup with Shahid Kapoor, a relationship that had been heavily publicised.
A New Chapter Begins
Kareena reflected on how her career-defining role in Jab We Met was something she hadn’t anticipated, much like her growing bond with Saif. While Tashan may not have delivered the cinematic success she had hoped for, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in her personal life, one that would eventually lead to her marriage to Saif. The shifts in both her professional and personal journeys during that period were monumental, with Jab We Met representing her triumph on-screen and Tashan heralding the end of one relationship and the beginning of another.
Kareena’s Current Projects
On the work front, Kareena Kapoor Khan continues to reign in Bollywood. She was most recently seen in the film The Crew and has an exciting lineup of projects in the pipeline. She will next star in Hansal Mehta's highly anticipated crime thriller The Buckingham Murders and is set to feature in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming action-packed sequel, Singham Again.
