Kareena Kapoor Khan has spent 25 years in Hindi cinema, but 2024–25 has felt less like a nostalgia tour and more like a fresh innings. With the success of women-led heist comedy Crew, a much-discussed turn towards darker thrillers, and her elevation as UNICEF India’s National Goodwill Ambassador, Kareena Kapoor Khan news has once again dominated entertainment and social pages. For readers searching for a reliable, news-style Kareena Kapoor Khan biography or wondering “What is Kareena Kapoor Khan age, career trajectory and latest work?”, her story is as much about reinvention as it is about legacy.

Early life & background

Born on 21 September 1980 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Kareena Kapoor Khan comes from two of Indian cinema’s most storied lineages. She is the younger daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. On her father’s side, she belongs to the legendary Kapoor film dynasty, being the granddaughter of filmmaker-actor Raj Kapoor and great-granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor. On her mother’s side, she has Sindhi and British roots, with actor Hari Shivdasani as her maternal grandfather.

At home she was often called “Bebo”, a nickname now instantly recognisable to fans searching Kareena Kapoor Khan Wiki details. In interviews, she has described herself as a “naughty, spoilt child” whose early exposure to film sets and classic performances—especially those of Nargis and Meena Kumari—sparked her desire to act. Yet her path was not straightforward. Her father initially opposed women in the family working in films, leading to a separation of her parents for several years. Kareena and Karisma were raised primarily by their mother, who worked multiple jobs until Karisma’s acting career took off.

Kareena studied at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai and Welham Girls’ School in Dehradun. Academics were never her main passion—she has joked that mathematics was her weak spot—but she consistently scored well otherwise. After school she studied commerce at Mithibai College, did a short microcomputers course at Harvard Summer School, and even enrolled in law at Government Law College, Mumbai. It was during this period she developed a lasting love for reading. However, the pull of cinema proved stronger: she left law after the first year, later admitting she regretted not finishing her education, and joined an acting institute in Mumbai, training under Kishore Namit Kapoor.

Career highlights & milestones

Kareena Kapoor Khan’s career has unfolded in clear phases that many Kareena Kapoor Khan career timelines point to as turning points.

She made her debut in 2000 with Refugee, earning a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. A year later, she cemented her leading-lady status with the family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, where her glamorous, sharp-tongued “Poo” became a cultural phenomenon and shaped public perception of her persona for years.

However, early success led to a run of repetitive, underperforming films in 2002–03, raising concerns that she was being typecast. Kareena herself later described this phase as a lesson that forced her to work harder and seek more layered roles.

That reinvention arrived in 2004 with the independent drama Chameli, in which she played a streetwise sex worker. The film marked a clear break from big-budget, glamorous roles and earned her strong critical attention. The same year, Dev saw her portray a Muslim woman affected by communal violence, a performance that won her a Filmfare Critics Award and strengthened her reputation as an actor capable of serious, politically charged roles.

Further acclaim followed with Omkara (2006), Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Othello, where she played a vulnerable yet dignified Desdemona-like character. But the role that most firmly redefined her image for a new generation was Geet Dhillon in Jab We Met (2007): a talkative, impulsive, emotionally honest Punjabi girl whose dialogues and attitude became pop-culture staples. The film won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and remains central to any Kareena Kapoor Khan biography.

Through the late 2000s and early 2010s, Kareena seamlessly balanced critical and commercial projects. She headlined or co-headlined some of Hindi cinema’s biggest hits, including 3 Idiots, Bodyguard, Golmaal 3, Ra.One and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, while taking on complex roles in films like Kurbaan, Heroine, Talaash and Udta Punjab. By this period, she was consistently ranked amongst the highest-paid and most bankable actresses in the industry.

On the personal front, the most searched phrase “Kareena Kapoor Khan husband” points to actor Saif Ali Khan, whom she married in October 2012 after a widely covered relationship. The couple, often dubbed “Saifeena”, have two sons born in 2016 and 2021.

Latest news & updates

For audiences tracking Kareena Kapoor Khan news, the actor’s recent filmography reflects a conscious tilt towards risk and experimentation.

In 2023, she ventured into darker thriller territory with Jaane Jaan—a Netflix adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s The Devotion of Suspect X—and The Buckingham Murders, in which she played a grief-stricken detective in an English-language crime drama. The latter also marked her debut as a producer, signalling an evolving off-screen profile.

In 2024, her heist comedy Crew, co-starring Tabu and Kriti Sanon, delivered a major commercial success in the female-led space. The film reinforced Kareena’s comic timing and star power, and industry trackers noted it in the same breath as her earlier ensemble hit Veere Di Wedding when discussing the growth of women-driven Hindi films.

Off-screen, Kareena’s long association with children’s rights and education reached a new high in May 2024, when she was elevated as UNICEF’s National Goodwill Ambassador for India. She has worked with the organisation since 2014, advocating for girls’ education, quality schooling and maternal and newborn health.

Adding to the celebratory mood, PVR INOX launched the “Kareena Kapoor Khan Film Festival” in 2024 to mark her 25 years in cinema—the first festival of its kind dedicated to an Indian actress. The event further solidified her standing as an enduring marquee name.

Impact, recognition & outlook

Beyond box-office numbers, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s impact lies in how she has consistently shaped conversations around stardom, image and working motherhood in Bollywood. She has transitioned from ingénue to leading star, from tabloid favourite to style icon, and today often features in “most powerful” and “most influential” lists in India.

Her public persona—assertive, outspoken, sometimes labelled “moody”—has frequently been scrutinised, especially in the early years when audiences blurred the lines between her and her flamboyant on-screen characters. Over time, performances in films like Chameli, Omkara, Heroine, Udta Punjab, Laal Singh Chaddha, Jaane Jaan and The Buckingham Murders have challenged that stereotype and showcased a more restrained, interior style of acting.

Commercially, she remains one of the rare Hindi film actresses to have repeatedly anchored or co-anchored ₹100-crore and ₹300-crore blockbusters across multiple eras. As of 2024, she ranks among Hindi cinema’s highest-paid and highest tax-paying female celebrities, reinforcing her status as both a critical and commercial force.

Looking ahead, Kareena has indicated she intends to prioritise roles with artistic merit over pure stardom, even as she continues to appear in mainstream franchises like Singham Again. For readers searching “Kareena Kapoor Khan age” in the context of longevity and relevance, the 45-year-old star appears firmly in control of a second act built on choice, not compulsion.

Most Searched FAQs on Kareena Kapoor Khan

1. Who is Kareena Kapoor Khan?
Kareena Kapoor Khan is an Indian film actress and producer, active in Hindi cinema since 2000. She is known for a wide range of roles—from romantic comedies and mass entertainers to critically acclaimed dramas—and is regarded as one of Bollywood’s leading and highest-paid actresses.

2. What is Kareena Kapoor Khan’s age?
Kareena Kapoor Khan was born on 21 September 1980. Based on that, searches for Kareena Kapoor Khan age currently place her in her mid-forties.

3. Who is Kareena Kapoor Khan’s husband?
For those searching “Kareena Kapoor Khan wife/husband”, she is married to actor Saif Ali Khan. They wed in October 2012 and have two sons together.

4. What are Kareena Kapoor Khan’s most famous films?
Key milestones in the Kareena Kapoor Khan career include Refugee, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Chameli, Dev, Omkara, Jab We Met, 3 Idiots, Bodyguard, Golmaal 3, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Heroine, Udta Punjab, Good Newwz, Laal Singh Chaddha, Veere Di Wedding, Jaane Jaan, The Buckingham Murders and Crew.

5. What is Kareena Kapoor Khan doing now?
Recent Kareena Kapoor Khan news centres on her thriller projects, the success of Crew, her role as UNICEF India’s National Goodwill Ambassador, and events celebrating her 25-year journey in cinema. She continues to balance mainstream releases with more experimental, content-driven work.