KAREENA'S TREAT FOR HER FANS

2009 is a treat for Kareena Kapoor fans. After Kambakkht Ishq in July, the stunning leading lady has three releases back to back in the space of three months.

Compared to the bright Jab We Met and Kambakkht Ishq, all her roles are subdued, in the sense she does not talk a lot and yet conveys sufficient through her eyes and expressions. She is the only actress this year to have worked with all the prominent Khans of the industry (she had an item song with SRK in Billu).

Kareena looked really hot as a supermodel in Kambakkht Ishq. In Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna, which is out on October 16, the stunning star plays an urban wife to Salman Khan who has an affair with Sohail Khan. The actress adopted a voluptuous look in the film as she plays a Punjabi wife. The film has been shot in Australia and has been ready since a year. Director Prem Soni said, “Kareena is a very professional actress. Her chemistry with Salman was natural. She just moulds herself into the character. I had to work extra hard on my directorial skills to keep up with them so that I could explain the scenes to them properly.”

In Kurbaan, Kareena plays a simple Muslim girl from Delhi who marries Saif and moves to the US. There she discovers that he is a terrorist. Bebo has barely worn any make up in the film and looks absolutely magnificent. She didn’t practice Yoga or a strict diet to gain weight for the role of a plump Muslim girl. She and Saif have a few steamy scenes and the poster of the film is really bold for an A-grade Hindi film as it features a bare-backed Kareena with a topless Saif. The film will be out on November 27. Director Rensil D’silva said, ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better actress than Kareena. Her chemistry with Saif is sizzling.’

In 3 Idiots, Kareena finally shares screen space with Aamir Khan. The sizzling duo also has a lip-lock in the film that has been shot in Mumbai and Ladakh primarily. “Kareena plays Boman Irani’s daughter in the film. She is a medical student in love with Aamir. Though Aamir is the star of the film, Kareena has held her own. She is bubbly and demure at the same time. She has worn no make-up in the film and yet she looks completely stunning,” says a StarBoxOffice source on the sets of the film. Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is Aamir’s Christmas present to Bollywood and his fans.

KAREENA PREPARING HARD FOR FILM WITH KAJOL

She is discovering how hard it is to play a normal girl.

Kareena Kapoor is leaving nothing to chance this time. Determined to match step with the terrifying scene-stealer Kajol in the Hindi version of "Stepmom", the actress has been quietly attending acting workshops with the film's director Siddharth Malhotra.

"The last time I rehearsed for a part was for Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Omkara'. But that was a more eccentric film and role where I had to get into a location and character I knew nothing about. But 'Stepmom' is urban and very modern. I play a very normal metro-centric working girl," Kareena told IANS.

Malhotra's film is inspired by director Chris Columbus 1998 hit drama "Stepmom", a heartwarming tale of two women - divorced Susan Sarandon and the new woman (Julia Roberts) in her ex-husband's life - and the problems they face to find a common ground of understanding.

And to attend the workshops, Kareena has been stealing time out of the rehearsals for a song she began shooting with Aamir Khan in "3 Idiots". Through the workshops Kareena is discovering how difficult it is to play a normal girl. "I walk, talk, dress like an common working girl. I'll be using no makeup."

Bollywood's ace designer Manish Malhotra too is having a hard time trying to bring down Kareena's glamour quotient in "Stepmom" to look like an ordinary working woman. "I couldn't cut my hair as planned because of continuity clashes. And I didn't want to cut my long hair. But I'm going for a new hairstyle," said Kareena.

The two actresses start shooting together from the end of this month.

Talking abour Kajol, Kareena said: "She's always been one of my favourite actresses. We worked together in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'. But this is something else."

There will be a lot of dramatic scenes between the two women in the movie.

"The desi version of 'Stepmom' is very different from the original. My role is also a big exodus from what Julia Roberts played in 'Stepmom'," Kareena said.

SAIF’S DATE WITH JULIA ROBERTS

Hollywood beauty, Julia Roberts is in town and has expressed her desire to meet Chote Nawaab Saif Ali Khan and his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor.

Julia is shooting for Ryan Murphy’s Eat, Pray, Love in Pataudi and is accompanied with her kids, four-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and two-year-old son Henry. Sharmila Tagore met up with Julia during her shoot and that is when Roberts expressed her desire to meet Saif Ali Khan who she had heard a lot about and Kareena Kapoor. Julia was keen on meeting Kareena after she heard that Bebo would be enacting her part in Karan Johar’s remake of Step-Mom.

At the moment Kareena is shooting for the last song for Raju Hirani’s 3 Idiots with Aamir Khan and Sharmila had a message sent requesting Aamir to let Kareena off for a day to fly to Pataudi. Karan too is gungho about the fact Julia is down in India and her meeting up with Kareena would be a great way for Bebo to improvise for her future role. While Saif and Kareena are yet to make an official assignment about their meeting with America’s very own sweetheart, here’s hoping Saifu can play his charms on the pretty woman while Kareena gets her lessons from Julia for free!

KARISMA KAPOOR IS PREGNANT

According to sources close to the family, Karisma Kapoor is having her second child. The actress, who is married to the Delhi businessman Sanjay Kapur already, has a daughter Samaira, who is four. Lolo's younger sister Kareena is excited with the idea of becoming an aunt for the second time.

Says a source, "The actress was spotted with a baby bump at a suburban seven-star hotel in Bandra on Wednesday afternoon. Karisma was last seen at events a few weeks ago (she was last seen at Neetu Kapoor's mom's chautha) and has since then been keeping a low profile.”

“She is now in her first trimester. This is the happiest phase in her life. Samaira is growing up, her marriage (which ran into troubled waters a few years back) is in a happy place now and she is also keeping herself busy with supports. Sanjay and she feel that it was a good time to have another baby."

The source adds that sister Kareena is over the moon about Karisma's pregnancy. "Bebo loves children and dotes on her niece Samaira. She organises her birthday parties and always picks up gifts for her from abroad. She is also very close to her sister and can't wait to hold Lolo's second baby in her arms."

When asked about the sister's happy news, Kareena Kapoor says, "Who told you?" but refused to say anything after that. Karisma's father, Randhir Kapoor, who is currently in Russia, says, "I have no idea if Lolo is expecting or not. No one has told me as yet. I would be very happy if she is expecting."

WISHING A SIZZLING BIRTHDAY TO BEBO

Had anyone anticipated that this ‘Refugee’ girl would ever grab the eyeballs? Or make men drool at her bootylicious figure? Or attract girls with her style and fashion? She first stepped into the screens with this movie – sans makeup, glamour and shine, with a chubby personality.

People, who were all-praise for her sister in those days, had hardly thought that she will ever make it big in Bollywood. And now look at Kareena Kapoor and you can see for yourself that turnaround in her. From being just another member of the well-known Kapoor clan to soon-expected-to-be bahu of Pataudis, Kareena is contentedly cushioned in the lap of Bollywood these days.

With ‘Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham’, Kareena showed what a Bebo she is proving what is she best at! Then came ‘Chameli’, another twist to her career, enriching her status and showing the audience that she can’t be only an arm-candy alone. Films like ‘Dev’, ‘Omkara’ too portrayed the brilliant actor within her, which reflects if given the right film. Her filmography will be incomplete if one forgets her as Geet. She successfully made this character to preside over everyone’s heart and thus won several awards hands down. ‘Jab We Met’ truly won audience due to this beauty’s bubbliness, complimenting the silent Shahid.

Then came a series of comedies, featuring this oomph gal and sadly you never got to see the substance from this actress. But one cannot stop expecting, for Kareena has ‘Main Aurr Mrs Khanna’, ‘Kurbaan’, ‘Three Idiots’, ‘Agent Vinod’ – where one can look forward to a different Bebo.

Today being her birthday, Kareena would have been busy with her work; shooting the remaining portions of Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Three Idiots’ with Aamir. But thanks to her co-star, Bebo is happily away in Rajasthan with her beau Saif to celebrate. Sources said Aamir told Raju to postpone the shoot if need be, but let Kareena off to celebrate her birthday. Well, that’s a nice twist for the actress now!

We wish her all the success and best wishes for her future. Keep sizzling Bebo!

BEBO BRANDED AGAIN

Kareena Kapoor has signed up for an elite Italian watch company for a huge amount. Bebo will be seen in the garb of a cat woman in the ad.

Says a source close to the actress, "The campaign was shot by Prasad Naik along with a foreign team of technicians. Her look is very Lara Croft black flying suit, tightly coiled hair and a whipcord body.

It's totally different from the usual watch campaigns that have been shot till now. It's a very sporty ad with a classy look as it's a hi-end watch.

Kareena is very keen to do an action film so when they had a Lara Croft concept to the ad, she was very excited."

KAREENA AND PREITY GET GROOVING...

Preity Zinta shot for a song with Kareena Kapoor for Main Aur Mrs Khanna.

Now, there may be not anything new about two actresses sharing the screen space, but it was different this time around because both these ladies shared pretty cold vibes sometime back. It was Kal Ho Na Ho that had sparked of a war of words between the two. Though, there were no fireworks when the two shot for a song for the movie. In fact we hear Preity, who was down with high fever, declined to stall the shooting. On the sets the two got along fine and danced their hearts out.