Carving niche for myself in bollywood hasn't been easy: Karisma

Even though she comes from a family of powerful actors like Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor, actress Karisma Kapoor says her journey of carving a niche for herself in the Hindi film industry has not been easy.

Has Karisma found it pressurising for making impactful performances on screen?

"I believe that my family has been the most formidable film dynasty that the Indian cinema has seen. My journey of carving a niche for myself in this industry hasn't been the easiest. While the longstanding legacy of my family did inspire me to be a part of this industry, I've had to work very hard for that recognition. With generations behind you, it does take a whole lot of skill and talent to be the best version of yourself," Karisma told IANS.

"I feel fortunate enough to be part of some the best films," she added.

With a career spanning over two decades, Karisma, has managed to work with some of the finest filmmakers including Shyam Benegal, Kundan Shah and David Dhawan. The actress finds herself lucky enough to have worked with them.

"It was such an honour to work so closely with the finest talent in our country. I have never really used any strategy; I have always relied on my own instinct. All of the opportunities that came my way, of working with such wonderful filmmakers, were rather organic. I fell in love with their stories and I am so glad that I got to be a part of them," she added.

The 44-year-old actress, who has worked in films like "Zubeidaa", "Raja Hindustani", "Dil Toh Pagal Hai" and "Fiza", says she is happy and content to see how her grit, determination and hard work over all those years has paid off.

"I am in a very secure space and feel that whatever I had set in my mind, has been achieved. I am sure everybody dreams of reaching a certain height and I am very thankful, how things are continuing to shape up for me. I am very grateful to my audience and fans for showing me so much love all these years," she added.

Asked if she feels that the age of an actress is considered detrimental in the industry, Karisma, who is a mother of two, said: "I don't regard age as a parameter for one's success. There has been a shift in the mindset of the audiences as well. Age to me has and always will be a non-issue. Today, there are some great roles out there for everybody and gone are the days when an actor's success was equated to how old he or she was."

Karisma was here at the day 3 of the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018 edition, where she walked the ramp for designer Arpita Mehta's line called "La Fleur". The actress looked ravishing in an all-black ruffled saree embroidered with tiny clusters of kardana going from dense to a fine scatter that continued through all the tiers of the garment as well as the drape.

The sari was paired with a sheer sylph mirror and thread embroidered black blouse along with a black organza cape.

Talking about the showstopper ensemble, Karisma said: "Arpita's collection 'La Fleur', is glamorous, chic and elegant. Her latest collection is in the colour palettes that I am most fond of. The kind of designs and silhouettes she creates are timeless and classic, they match my personality and sensibilities perfectly. Arpita's designs this time are feminine yet flirty with a understate boho luxe vibe that I absolutely love. It is perfect for the contemporary woman of today."

(Durga Chakravarty is in Mumbai at the invitation of the Lakme Fashion Week organisers. She can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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