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Kareena said, “When I recently got an award from Erin Brockovich, I enjoyed the moment doubly because Julia Roberts had played Erin. I love the spunky militant parts she plays. And Kajol is my favourite actress, and to be pitched against her is a dream come true, we didn’t have that many scenes together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. But here it’s the two of us all the way. Julia Roberts had rocked in my role in the Original . I want to make my role in the remake just as exciting.”

Bollywood’s super-designer Manish Malhotra flew to New York two weeks ago when Kareena was shooting there, to discuss and finalize Kareena’s look for the desi Stepmom.

“I’m really excited about it,” Kareena said. “Manish was in NY. We’re working on a totally new look, clothes makeup and hair for our film with Karan. I can guarantee you this time we’ll do something very different from my celebrated Poo in K3G.”

Kareena will cut her hair for the first time in her career. “I’ve never done that for any role. But I want to get experimental with my looks this time.” When Kareena came down with a viral fever in New York, her folks were naturally worried. Concerned reports back home about Swine Flu in the US have Kareena pooh-poohing away our worries.

“Tell everyone to chill. There were no swine’s of the two-legged or four-legged kind in New York. We were all safe and sound. There was never any question of leaving the schedule half-finished. Who starts all these rumours? They’re freaking out our folks back home for nothing. I worked non-stop to complete the schedule so that Saif and me could head for our holiday. Jehaad (yup, that’s what she and Saif insist on calling the film) is a very challenging film for both of us. It’s dramatic but real. We have to raise our voices but make sure it’s not done in a filmy way.”

Kareena plays Saif’s wife and the mother of a child. She was earlier seen as a girl in love with a suspected terrorist in Govind Nihalani’s Dev. She had blown the screen part in the two scenes she had. “In Jehaad I’ve much more to do, plus Saif for company,” she chuckles.

Both Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots and Rensil d Silva’s film have taken more of Kareena’s time and energy than she had bargained for. “I had to give a hundred days each to both. Now there’s Karan’s film with Kajol.”

Karan Johar has done it again. After casting Kajol and Kareena Kapoor for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, way back in 2001, he’s got the two talented actresses again for his forthcoming venture. The film will be directed by debutante Siddharth Malhotra, who is production house Cinevistaa’s chairman Prem Kishen’s son and the grandson of the late Prem Nath. Siddharth was the creative producer of the hit TV serial Sanjivani and was responsible for conceptualising and shaping it.


Our source revealed, “Kajol and Kareena have been finalised for Karan Johar’s forthcoming film, which will start once the actors are free from their on-going films.”

The film, which is yet untitled is based on the Hollywood film, Stepmom (1998), starring Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. The shooting of the film will begin as soon as Kajol wraps up the shoot of Karan’s My Name Is Khan, opposite Shah Rukh Khan.

Karan Johar
So how did the casting come about? “Karan, who is directing Kajol in My Name Is Khan is very happy with her work. The same holds true for Kareena, who is working opposite Saif Ali Khan in a project directed by Rensil D’Silva,” said the source.

When queried about Kareena’s presence in Karan’s film, Kareena’s secretary maintained a diplomatic stand and said, “Kareena would never say no to Karan.”

• You to seemed to have faced a lot of problems during your Los Angeles (LA) schedule of My Name is Khan?
Tell me about it. Besides minor problems, there were unforeseen problems too. Thank God for my fabulous technical team, without them I could not have made my film the way I wanted to. Yes, there was stress.

l • There were reports that some Musilms, who were part of the film, had visa problems?
Yes, there were problems which were sorted out. We had certain legal issues, but made changes to accommodate the developments. I believe in following the law of every land. That’s what we did in LA when troubles arose.

• Did Aamir Bashir’s replacement by Jimmy Sheirgill need much deliberation and did it cause you pain?
I wouldn’t say it was painful but yes, we had to do some serious re-thinking. I spoke to my casting director Shanu Sharma for immediate release. I was very happy to have Jimmy Sheirgill on board.

• Did the LA shoot go the way you wanted it to?
In all my 11 years as a filmmaker I’ve never felt the experience to be so different. The content of My Name is Khan is diametrically opposite to whatever I’ve done in the past.

On the very first day of shooting my cameraman Ravi Chandran looked at me and said, ‘I don’t think you’ve ever shot something like this.’ This is the first time I’m directing a screenplay that I haven’t written myself.

It gives me a level of detachment from the proceedings and yet a lot of attachment. It has released a whole plethora of unexplored emotions in my head. This time, I’m being creative in a different way. And Shah Rukh Khan plays a completely different human being, I’ve never directed that person before.

• Your film has no lip-sync songs.
None. The songs are all in the background. Even Rakeysh Mehra’s Rang De Basanti didn’t have lip-sync songs. But did we ever feel any loss? Music is an integral but seamless part of My Name is Khan, like Rang De Basanti. In this film, there’s no ‘It’s the time to disco’ and ‘Where’s the party tonight’ type of songs. But there’s guts, soul and heart in the music. I’ve a huge comfort zone with my composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. That’s the only way good work can be done.

• You are directing Shah Rukh and Kajol after a long time, how has it been?
When I direct a scene with Shah Rukh and Kajol I know I’m doing my best work. I am blessed to have them in my film. I don’t know what it’s about them. It’s just magic. They build an inexplicable energy on screen. They instinctively understand each other’s acting. These two characters in My Name is Khan had to be SRK and Kajol.

• Was Kajol weighed down on location towards her motherly duties?
Not at all, in fact I’ve worked with Kajol in various stages of her life. I’m working with her after eight years. When we worked the last time she didn’t have a daughter. So of course she’s a different person now. Today, I find her calmer and more focused on her work than ever before.

• Tell us about Shah Rukh Khan in My Name is Khan?
Time and again I’m blown away by Shah Rukh. At times I wonder how can he bring so many variations in his character when he already has so much on his plate. He has done monumental research on his autistic character in the film. I was zapped by how much he knew about the subject.

And he brought all the knowledge on the sets without any strain. He had written reams of notes on how he wanted to interpret his character. And for him it was no big deal. I think he’s ready to direct a film. He will be outstanding at it. His understanding of human nature and emotions can never be matched by me.