Golden Girl

After Two Decades in Films, Karisma Kapoor, the Original It Girl, Is Now Living Life on Her Own Terms, and Making Heads Turn With Her Chic Sartorial Choices. Bhg Speaks to Her About Home, Fashion and Being Away From the Arc Lights.

- Meghna Menon

Right off the bat, one thing strikes me as I speak with Karisma Kapoor: She knows her priorities well. Be it pursuing a career in movies (she entered Bollywood at 17, at a time when her family didn’t support women joining the industry) and eventually leaving it, or being a single parent (she is mother to Samaira, 12, and Kiaan, 7), Karisma has charged through life, setting her own rules and finding her niche. Now at 43, she feels all these experiences have only helped her become a stronger person. “I’ve always been a confident woman, holding my beliefs and value systems close to me. Today, I can hold my own as a career person, as a homemaker, as a mom, and it’s a nice space that I’m in,” says Karisma.

This confidence has allowed Karisma to truly choose what she wants to do today. She says she would rather spend a lot of her time with her young kids and being there for them, taking up endorsements and events only when it pleases her. The Kapoors are, in any case, a close-knit family that bonds over food and banter. These warm vibes reflect in Karisma’s Khar West, Mumbai home as well. In fact, the focus in her house is a strikingly large dining table, which brings the family together. “We Kapoors are foodies. I wanted that every time my family comes visiting, I have a table large enough to accommodate everyone, while we talk twenty to the dozen over good food,” says Karisma. While the dining table unites the foodies, it is the family den where everybody loves to unwind, watch TV, chat and just spend time together. It’s not surprising then that this is Karisma’s favourite corner and one that she insisted on having.