Don’t call it a comeback

Karisma Kapoor reflects on the past, shares excitement about the present

Karisma Kapoor recently sat down with Grazia India for a chat. Prefacing the conversation, the superstar said, “This is the way I genuinely feel: I’ve been very lucky and grateful to have had an amazingly fulfilling career, a wonderful fan base and an audience, so that today for me it’s important to only do things that I like to do – so if I want to do a movie I’ll do it, if I want to do a magazine cover, I’ll do it. I’m also thankful that I’m in a position where I can take that call. I like to work at my own pace. I’m sailing in my own boat.”

Not a fan of the term “comeback,” Karisma shed light on her priorities. She said: “I chose to stay away from the limelight – I had young children and it was important for me as a mother that I didn’t want to miss out on those moments. I think that’s a choice that each individual needs to make and that’s a choice I made.” The diva added, “I don’t regret anything; I cherish and value it all. It’s important to be a confident human being and make those choices in life.”

The twinkle of fame does not take away from the shine of motherhood for the seasoned star. Describing “mom” as “Master Of Multitasking,” the star remarked, “I think every mother must be a master multitasker, and if we have our priorities in place and we can plan accordingly, then everything can go right.”

Given her foray into the OTT space, Karisma did not hesitate to assert, “My first love will always be the movies.” She furthered, “I think the industry today has also evolved and so has the audience’s taste, and OTT is like the cherry on the top with so many opportunities for so many people.”

For Karisma, 2024 commemorates 25 years of Biwi No 1, Hum Saath-Saath Hain, and Haseena Maan Jaayegi. Calling it “a golden era,” she revealed, “I used to have eight to 10 releases a year and touch wood all of them would be successful, or then maybe just one odd one out. Now when I think of it, did I actually churn out 10 movies a year?”

Reminiscing further, she added, “I’ve seen movies from the time when there were no scripts, we just knew we would be doing a movie – there’d be a hero, four to five dance numbers and one or two great scenes and we’d be like okay let’s work hard and get noticed.” Dil To Pagal Hai also came up in the conversation. Talking about her styling by Manish Malhotra, Karisma stated, “It was iconic. Jazz, athleisure, a mainstream actress not getting the hero, it was a turning point.”

Where Sridevi was an inspiration for Karisma and her generation, the star shed light on what inspires her presently. “I think today it’s fun that I get to do a job where I can dress for myself – whether it’s events or endorsements – I can be myself. Yes, we’re working but I can portray myself the way I am and how I want to be. And maybe that can be inspirational to others as well. One compliment I really take well is that a lot of people like my fashion sense and it’s not just for the movies I did. I’m just being myself.”

Thinking of what she’d say to her younger self, Karisma voiced, “At that time, you wanted to prove yourself and make it and be ambitious. Today, I’d tell myself to never miss out on the small moments. I think a balance in life is very important and my younger self didn’t have that.” She added, “I would have told myself to just breathe.”