Filmfare Recommends: Top 10 Films of Karisma Kapoor

May 2024 · 11 minute read
Karima Kapoor became a strong contender to both Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi’s domination to the ’90s. She became a force to reckon with commercially, giving hits after hits with Govinda, mostly doing South remakes. She soon became a much sought after heroine, especially in commercial circles. With films like Raja Hindustani and Dil To Pagal Hai, she showed the world there was more to her than her beauty and energy and that she can essay complex characters too with natural ease. On the occasion of her birthday today, we bring you a list of 10 Karima Kapoor Best Films down the years.

1. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Anari (1993)

Director: K. Murali Mohana Rao
Cast: Venkatesh, Karisma Kapoor

This remake of 1991 Tamil hit Chinna Thambi had Karishma essaying the role of the baby sister born in the family of feudal landlords, whose elder brothers love her to death. The film centred on her innocence and love’s awakening. How she falls in love with the man appointed as a bodyguard of sorts for her (Venkatesh) and how that love transforms their lives forms the crux of the story. Karisma looked totally at ease opposite the seasoned Telugu superstar Venkatesh. Her natural charm made her perfect for the role. It was one of the earlier hits of her career.

Best Films of Karisma Kapoor Anari

2. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Raja Babu (1994)

Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan, Aruna Irani

Karishma played a rich, sophisticated girl in this David Dhawan remake of Tamil hit Rasukutty (1992). Govinda played a country bumpkin who falls for her and how this mismatch found a happy ending was the plot’s pivot. The film was talked about for its raunchy Sarkai lo khatiya song. Raja Babu (Govinda), is constantly pampered by his mother (Aruna Irani) and servant, Nandu (Shakti Kapoor) and as a result, has become a brat who thinks the world owes him a favour for existing. He falls in love with Madhu (Karishma Kapoor) and even convinces both sets of parents to get them married. However, when Madhu comes to know Raja Babu is illiterate, she humiliates his entire family and walks out of the engagement. Raja Babu also finds out that he has been adopted. How a humbled Raja sets about redeeming himself and winning back the love of his parents, as well as Madhu, forms the crux of this masala potboiler.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Raja Babu

3. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Andaz Apna Apna (1994)

Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi
Cast: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor

A comedy starring four top stars and directed by one of the biggest directors of the era has to be a theatrical hit, right? Strange it may seem, despite the cult status it enjoys today, Andaz Apna Apna didn’t see commercial success upon its initial release. Today, of course, it’s considered as one of the finest comedies to have come out of Bollywood. Fans know its dialogue by heart and can recite it scene by scene. Teja main hoon, mark idhar hai, is iconic while Galti se mistake ho gaya has become part of everyday lore. It’s said both Raveena and Karisma weren’t talking to each other while the film was being made but such was their professionalism that you wouldn’t know it watching the film. Aamir and Salman play two slackers who want to get rich quickly by any means. Their dreams come true when they learn that a foreign returned rich heiress is looking for possible grooms. They make extravagant plans to get in her good books and learn in the process that a lookalike is planning to kidnap the girl’s father and impersonate him in order to loot all his money. They let go of their rivalry and go on a rescue mission, leading to further misadventures. While Aamir Khan was in his element as always, Salman Khan earned his stripes as a comic actor with this film. The supporting cast comprising Shakti Kapoor, Deven Verma, Viju Khote and Paresh Rawal were superb as well. It’s one of those films you can watch from anywhere and still end up laughing.

Best Films of Karisma Kapoor Andaz Apna Apna

4. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Coolie No 1 (1995)

Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Kader Khan

This started the No 1 franchise for David Dhawan. It was a remake of the hit 1993 Tamil film Chinna Mapillai starring Prabhu and Sukanya. The film had shades of the famous Gol Maal (1979), starring Amol Palekar. A matchmaker, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, is humiliated by a wealthy man, Kader Khan, who wants his sons-in-law to be wealthier than him. The matchmaker vows to teach the arrogant father a lesson and hatches a plot to get his daughter, Karisma Kapoor, married to a smooth-talking coolie Govinda. In order to create even more confusion, the coolie maintains that it’s his younger brother who is a menial labourer while pretending to be a super-rich lad. The film is known for its confrontation scenes between Kader Khan and Govinda. Their comic timing together is superb and they feed off each other like the pros they are. Karisma Kapoor starred as Govinda’s love interest but had nothing major to do in the film really. Its Main to raste se ja raha tha song is still famous today.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Coolie No 1

5. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Raja Hindustani (1996)

Director: Dharmesh Darshan
Cast: Aamir Khan, Karisma Kapoor

It was a modern-day remake of the Shashi Kapoor-Nanda starrer Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965) and confirmed to the ages-old movie trope of a rich girl falling for a poor boy. Aarti (Karisma) is a superrich heiress who falls for a lowly guide and driver, Raja (Aamir). There’s a huge class difference between them and her father warns her of that when she wants to marry him. She goes ahead and predictably, differences offer when her rich relatives try to meddle. He rejects an offer of a new house and is distraught when he’s falsely informed she wants a divorce. He goes to the extent of kidnapping his own child but thankfully, their differences get reconciled leading to a happy ending. Both Aamir and Karisma showed palpable chemistry together. It’s one of the finest performances by the actress. Pardesi pardesi remains one of the most popular numbers till now.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Raja Hindustani

6. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)

Director: Yash Chopra
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor

Yash Chopra showed he’s still at the top of his game by giving us a proper musical beautifully choreographed by Shiamak Davar. Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) and Nisha (Karisma Kapoor) are the best of friends and perform dance-based plays along with their troupe. Pooja (Madhuri Dixit) is a classically trained dancer and is hopelessly romantic. Their paths cross when Nisha injures her leg during rehearsals and Rahul has to cast for someone new to play the lead in his new play Maya. Nisha, who is secretly in love with Rahul, is jealous of Pooja taking her place. The jealousy deepens when she becomes aware that Rahul is falling for Pooja. Ajay (Akshay Kumar), Pooja’s fiance, arrives at this stage. Rahul is devastated but the film gears towards a happy ending when Ajay sacrifices his love upon finding out Pooja’s and Rahul’s true feelings for each other. The film featured a dance playoff between Nisha and Pooja, with Nisha not caring for her injury in order to go one up on Pooja. Madhuri and SRK make you believe in their characters and you do sympathise with Nisha’s angst as well. Unheralded composer Uttam Singh got the biggest hit of his life with the film and songs like the title track, Le gayi le gayi, Koi ladki hai and more still resonate with us today.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Dil To Pagal Hai

7. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Judwaa (1997)

Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Rambha

This film marked the first collaboration between Salman Khan and David Dhawan. It was an uncredited remake of the Jackie Chan comedy, Twin Dragons (1992) and firmly established Salman as a comedy star. The film revolved around separated-at-birth twins who suffer from reflection syndrome, wherein what one experiences would be felt by the other, depending on their proximity. While one grows up to be a rockstar, the other is a tapori. They somehow end up locking horns with Mukesh Rishi’s character, whose father was responsible for their separation. All kinds of subplots play out, as the brothers unite and learn to use their unique ability to defeat their enemies. The screenplay was exhaustive, to say the least, but the film was buoyed by Salman’s performance. He was a hoot as the tapori Raja and his chemistry with both Karisma and Rambha worked in the film’s favour. The girls didn’t have much of a role in the film, which can be easily called a Salman-fest. Rambha’s voice was said to be dubbed by Tabu in the film. Its musical score, comprising such hit numbers as Oonchi hai building and Tan tana tan, tan tan tara is still a hit.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Judwaa

8. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999)

Director: Sooraj Barjatya
Cast: Salman Khan, Tabu, Karisma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre, Mohnish Behl, Neelam

In this modern-day interpretation of the Ramayana, Salman Khan played the sane voice in the midst of the storm. When his sister and her husband are turned away by the husband's brother, it's he who welcomes them with open arms and even tries to broker peace between the families. Ramkishan and Mamta have three sons Vivek (Mohnish Behl), Prem (Salman Khan) and Vinod (Saif Ali Khan). They also have a daughter Sangeeta (Neelam). Vivek is married to Sadhna (Tabu), while Prem is engaged to Dr Preeti (Sonali Bendre) and Vinod and Sapna (Karishma Kapoor) too are childhood sweethearts. Vivek and Saadhna got married after Sadhna and her father Adarsh (Rajiv Verma) attended a family function in honour of Ramkishan and Mamta's 25th marriage anniversary. They were impressed with the unity displayed by the family. The pairs reflect each other’s natures. Vivek and Sadhna are the voice of reason, Prem and Preeti are the shy individuals who nevertheless try their hardest to stop the family from falling apart and Vinod and Sapna bring in the humour quotient. While everyone excelled in their respective roles, Karisma brought in a burst of energy in the otherwise staid, laidback film populated by ever-smiling people.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Hum Saath-Saath Hain

9. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Fiza (2000)

Director: Khalid Mohammed
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Jaya Bachchan

Set against the backdrop of terrorism, Fiza was a quest for a courageous sister to bring back her wayward brother home. In the end, she has to take the toughest call to provide him with an honourable end and she does so unflinchingly. Both Hrithik Roshan and Karisma Kapoor excelled in their respective roles. Fiza’s (Karisma Kapoor) brother, Amaan (Hrithik Roshan), disappears during the 1993 Bombay riots. Fiza and her mother Nishatbi (Jaya Bachchan) haven’t given up hope of his return. Fiza decides to use whatever means she can to find her brother and succeeds in it six years later. But Amaan is a changed man. He has become a hardcore terrorist, who works with Murad Khan (Manoj Bajpayee). His mother dies of grief upon learning that. Amaan has been sent to kill two powerful politicians. While he succeeds in that, the police are after him and hence he tells his sister Fiza to kill him herself to give him an honourable death.

Best Films of Karisma Kapoor Fiza

10. Best Films of Karisma Kapoor - Zubeida (2001)

Director: Shyam Benegal
Cast: Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Lillete Dubey, Shakti Kapoor

Karisma Kapoor played the titular role of an actress who falls in love with a maharaja and becomes his second wife, only to find himself stifled in petty palace politics. The film had talented actors like Rekha and Manoj Bajpayee as her co-stars and she excelled in their company, bringing forward both the joy and pain of her character through her nuanced performance. Riyaz (Rajit Kapoor) was brought up by his maternal grandmother and wants to know what kind of person his mother Zubeidaa (Karisma Kapoor) was. He gets to know that she was the only daughter of a filmmaker named Suleman Seth (Amrish Puri). Zubeidaa too wants to work in films and signs a few films but her father forbids her to make a career in films and quickly marries her off. The marriage terminates after the birth of a child -- Riyaz. Then, she falls in love with Maharaja Vijayendra Singh of Fatehpur (Manoj Bajpayee). Vijayendra is already married to Maharani Mandira Devi (Rekha) and is the father of two children. Nevertheless, he marries her but she isn’t able to handle the palace politics. Tragically, both she and her husband died in a plane crash.

Best Films Of Karisma Kapoor Zubeida

More on: Karisma Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor Best Films, Karisma Kapoor Movies, Karishma Kapoor Movies, Anari, Raja Babu, Andaz Apna Apna, Coolie No 1, Raja Hindustan, Dil To Pagal Hai, Judwa, Hum SaathSaath Hain, Fiza, Zubeida

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