Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor is an Indian actor, best known for Tamil cinema. Karisma Kapoor began their career in 1991 and has been a prominent figure in the industry for over 35 years. With over 90 credits to their name, Karisma Kapoor remains one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in the industry. Spanning 30+ years, Karisma Kapoor's career remains one of the longest and most celebrated in Tamil cinema.
- Born
- Age
- 52
Biography
Karisma Kapoor is a Hindi cinema actress and member of the Kapoor film dynasty, daughter of Randhir Kapoor and sister of Kareena Kapoor, who debuted at 17 with Prem Qaidi (1991) and became one of Bollywood's leading stars of the 1990s. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Raja Hindustani (1996) and Fiza (2000), Best Supporting Actress for Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), and the National Film Award for Best Actress for Fiza. Her range extended from high-energy comedies like Biwi No.1 (1999) and Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999) to intense dramatic roles in Zubeidaa (2001, directed by Shyam Benegal) and the emotional Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). She stepped back from films after her 2003 marriage and returned with cameos and OTT projects, including the series Mentalhood (2020), cementing a legacy as one of the most decorated actresses of her generation.
Career Milestones
Film debut as lead actress
Won Filmfare Award for Best Actress
Won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
Won Filmfare Award for Best Actress
View film →Won Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics)
View film →Iconic Roles
Raja Hindustani
A naive wealthy girl who falls in love with a simple taxi driver; this career-defining role earned Karisma the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and established her as a leading actress in Bollywood.
Dil To Pagal Hai
A passionate and devoted dancer deeply in love with her best friend; this performance earned Karisma the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Fiza
A determined sister searching for her missing brother who turned militant; Karisma's intense and layered portrayal won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Zubeidaa
A spirited and tragic princess navigating love, royalty, and heartbreak in pre-independence India; widely regarded as one of Karisma's finest and most complex performances.
Biwi No.1
A witty and resilient housewife who discovers her husband's affair and fights back with humor and charm; the role showcased Karisma's comic timing and became a massive commercial hit.
Defining Moments
Rain song sequence 'Dheere Dheere' — Karisma performs alongside Madhuri Dixit in a competitive dance number that showcased her as an equal to the reigning dance queen of Bollywood
She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and her dance prowess in direct competition with Madhuri Dixit redefined her image from commercial heroine to serious performer
Comic-glamour double act in Biwi No.1 — her comedic timing as the 'other woman' became the template for the role type in 90s Bollywood
The film was the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1999; her performance balanced glamour and humour in a way that cemented her commercial dominance at the peak of her career
View film →Title role performance as Fiza, a determined sister searching for her missing brother, culminating in a harrowing emotional climax
Won Filmfare Best Actress and Critics Best Actress awards; widely considered her finest dramatic performance and proof she could carry a serious parallel-cinema-style film
View film →Portrayal of the titular Zubeidaa, a vivacious actress-turned-princess whose tragic arc spans decades — Shyam Benegal's most emotionally demanding role of her career
Won Filmfare Best Actress Critics Award; the role is cited as her most artistically accomplished work and brought mainstream credibility with art-house audiences
View film →Poignant portrayal of a mother victimised by village patriarchy, holding the film's emotional core together against Nana Patekar's intense villain
Demonstrated her range in a gritty social drama, contrasting sharply with her commercial outings and earning critical respect for restrained, grounded acting
View film →Karisma Kapoor by the Numbers
If you watched every Karisma Kapoor film back-to-back, you'd be at it for roughly 6 days and 3h. Most-paired with Shakti Kapoor — 19 films together.
Filmography
See all 90 credits →
Collaboration Network
The Constellation
Top 10 most-paired collaborators. Bubble size and line thickness reflect how many films they share with Karisma Kapoor.
Career Analytics
Genre Breakdown
Language Distribution
Films by Decade
Top Co-Actors
See all →Karisma Kapoor has worked most frequently with David Dhawan (10 films), Suneel Darshan (4 films), Indra Kumar (2 films), Mehul Kumar (2 films), and Dharmesh Darshan (2 films).
Did You Know?
Karisma Kapoor is the first actress from the Kapoor family to win a National Film Award, which she received for Best Actress for her role in 'Dil To Pagal Hai'.
She is often nicknamed 'Lolo' by the media and her fans.
She is the elder sister of actress Kareena Kapoor Khan.
She made her acting debut at age 17 in the 1991 film 'Prem Qaidi'.
She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in 'Fiza' (2000).
Legacy & Influence
Karisma Kapoor emerged as a defining star of 1990s Bollywood, successfully transitioning from early commercial roles to becoming one of the industry's most respected and versatile actresses. Her career trajectory is marked by a significant evolution, beginning with glamorous leads in action and romance films to delivering powerful, critically acclaimed performances that expanded the scope for mainstream heroines. A pivotal contribution was her ability to balance commercial success with substantial roles, challenging the era's stereotype of the female lead as merely decorative. Her performance in 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) as the ambitious, resilient Nisha showcased a modern, independent woman and earned her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, a rare feat for a mainstream star at the time. Films like 'Fiza' (2000) and 'Zubeidaa' (2001) further cemented her reputation for dramatic depth, with the latter showcasing her range in a complex biographical role. Kapoor is also credited with pioneering the 'girl-next-door' action heroine archetype through the successful 'Raja Hindustani' (1996) and the 'Hero No. 1' (1997) brand of cinema, proving her immense box-office draw. Her comic timing, notably in 'Andaz Apna Apna' (1994), remains iconic. By consistently choosing roles that offered both popularity and substance, Karisma Kapoor paved the way for future actresses to demand more layered characters, solidifying her legacy as a talented performer who helped redefine the commercial Hindi film heroine in a transformative decade for the industry.