One of Bollywood’s biggest names, Kareena Kapoor celebrates her birthday this weekend – September 21 to be precise. In a career spanning 25 years, she has mesmerised audiences with her effervescent character, strong dialogue delivery and stellar acting. From the bubbly Geet in Jab We Met to a layered Maya in Jane Jaan, Kareena makes every role memorable. Portraying strong female characters on screen is something this actress does with ease and poise. As she celebrates her 44th birthday, let’s take a look at some of Kareena Kapoor’s boundary-breaking roles:

1. Chameli – (2003) Disney+Hotstar

This critically acclaimed film is perhaps one of her most unconventional roles to date. Kareena plays the role of a street-smart sex worker who is unafraid of taking a stand. The plot revolves around Chameli (Kareena Kapoor) who bonds with an investment banker (Rahul Bose). 

2. Jab We Met – (2007) JioCinema

“Main apni favourite hoon”. The dialogue defined this cult classic. Kareena essayed the role of a free-spirited Geet. With her bubbly personality, Geet teaches a brooding and overly-serious Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) to enjoy the little things in life and take risks once in a while. 

3. Heroine – (2012) Prime Video

Success is fleeting and the movie is all about it. Mahi Arora (Kareena Kapoor) is a famous actress ruling the world of glitz and glam, but when problems in her personal life crop up she struggles to cope. Heroine addresses the dark side of fame which is often overshadowed by the glam. 

4. Ki & Ka – (2016) JioCinema

Kareena Kapoor as a strong-headed and career-oriented woman Kia Bansal challenges gender norms. While she is ambitious and wants to flourish in her professional field, her husband Ka (Arjun Kapoor) prefers to take on a homemaker’s role. Together, they break the gender stereotype. 

5. Jaane Jaan – (2023) Netflix

What lengths can a mother go to protect her child? Short answer: to the extreme. That’s exactly what Maya, a single mother running a cafeteria in misty Kalimpong, does when her abusive husband Ajit (Saurabh Sachdeva) tries to take away their daughter. With the help of a gifted maths teacher (Jaideep Ahalwat), Maya is ready to fight till her last breath. 

6. Aitraaz – (2004) ZEE5

While Priyanka Chopra was praised for her performance in this romance thriller, Kareena Kapoor held her own as the pillar of support to her partner, despite all the allegations against him. Kareena essays the character of a lawyer Maya Saxena who defends her husband Raj (Akshay Kumar) in a false sexual harassment case. 

7. Asoka – (2001) Netflix

As Kaurwaki, a warrior princess, Kareena stole the limelight in this war drama led by Shah Rukh Khan. Directed by Santosh Sivan, the film also featured South star Ajith Kumar, Danny Denzongpa, Hrishitaa Bhatt and Rahul Dev in crucial roles.  

8. Dev – (2004) Prime Video

Kareena Kapoor won the Filmfare Best Critic award for this Govind Nihalani directorial. Kareena Kapoor’s Aaliya challenges Dev’s (Fardeen Khan) wayward ideologies and stands up for what is right. 

9. Omkara – (2006) JioCinema

Adapted from William Shakespeare’s Othello, Omkara is a battle of power set in the badlands of Uttar Pradesh. Kareena stands tall in this film, speaking out against a male-dominated society. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Omkara also featured Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgn, Naseeruddin Shah, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basu and Konkona Sen Sharma. 

10 Udta Punjab – (2016) ZEE5

Kareena Kapoor shines in her role as Dr Preet Sahni in this Abhishek Chaubey directorial. The storyline centres around the drug menace in Punjab and how the youth are falling prey to it. Dr Preet is assigned with the responsibility of rehabilitating addicts.  

Let’s hope you can watch some of these binge-worthy films over the weekend. And yes, Happy Birthday, Kareena Kapoor!