| From being an outsider in the country, who didn't know a word of Hindi to becoming the top actress of Bollywood, Katrina Kaif has sure come a long way. Her first film was a disaster but Katrina never shied away from it and, instead, chose to rebuild her career in the Hindi film industry. She charted her way to box-office success meticulously and is, today, the most adored actress in the country. On the eve of her 27th birthday, we take a look at her journey in Bollywood. Born to British-Indian parents, Katrina started her career with modeling in London and also walked the ramp during the London Fashion Week. During her modeling career, she crossed paths with Kaizad Gustad, who went on to cast her in the box-office dud 'Boom'. The film which introduced Katrina Kaif to the industry also starred veteran Amitabh Bachchan, Gulshan Grover alongside top models Padmalakshmi and Madhu Sapre. Undeterred by the pathetic debut that she had, Katrina moved baggage to Mumbai and joined the league of successful Indian models. After sticking around the city as a model for quite a while, Katrina landed a role in Ram Gopal Verma's film 'Sarkar' which brought her to people's notice. Her first out-and-out commercial film was 'Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya' which also starred her then boyfriend, Salman Khan. It is widely known that Katrina got a second chance in Bollywood only because of the influence of Salman Khan in the industry. A new dawn began in Katrina's career after her performance in 'Namastey London'. Her portrayal of a British-Indian girl caught in a cultural crisis drew in a lot of praise and pushed her to a higher level in the industry. Katrina went on to act in 'Partner', which was the unofficial remake of Will Smith starrer 'Hitch', 'Welcome' and 'Race' which made filmmakers to see her as a worthy of being cast in commercial films. There was no looking back after the resounding box-office success of 'Singh Is King' and the great critical reception bagged by 'New York'. Katrina Kaif became the new hot property of Bollywood and also a major crowd-puller in movies. Katrina finally proved that she had her feet soundly planted in the industry and did not need any Godfather or a 'filmy family' to succeed. She acted opposite Ranbir Kapoor in the films 'Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani' and 'Rajneeti' (her most successful film so far) after which followed the rumors surrounding her budding relationship with him. News of her split with beau Salman Khan followed immediately, to which both, very subtly, agreed. Today both of them share a cordial relationship and are even acting together in Kabir Khan's directorial 'Ek Tha Tiger'. Her item number 'Sheila Ki Jawani' was a major chartbuster in 2010 and even beat the hugely popular 'Munni Badnaam' in terms of popularity. She was selected to be the Indian face of the iconic doll, Barbie. What is considered to be a huge honor by everyone and Katrina Kaif herself, it was a testimony of Katrina's huge popularity in the country. |
