Katrina Kaif

At a fashion show, Katrina Kaif caught the attention of London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who cast her in Boom (2003), a Hindi-English heist film featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Gulshan Grover, Jackie Shroff, Madhu Sapre, and Padma Lakshmi. While filming in India, she received additional offers and decided to stay, adopting her father’s surname for easier pronunciation. She gained recognition as a model after walking for Rohit Bal at India Fashion Week and appearing in the first Kingfisher Calendar. She went on to endorse major brands like Coca-Cola, LG, Fevicol, and Samsung, establishing herself in the Indian modeling industry.

Despite its promotion at the Cannes Film Festival, Boom was both a critical and commercial failure. Kaif’s portrayal of a supermodel caught in the Mumbai underworld was poorly received, with critics calling her performance lackluster. She later dismissed the film as an early misstep, attributing it to her unfamiliarity with Indian cinema. Her weak command of Hindi and strong British accent led to industry skepticism, and she was even replaced in Saaya (2003) by Tara Sharma due to her performance. Determined to improve, Kaif took Hindi lessons to refine her diction.

Following her Bollywood debut, Kaif appeared in the Telugu film Malliswari (2004), playing a runaway princess. She reportedly earned ₹7.5 million ($87,000), making her the highest-paid female lead in South Indian cinema at the time. Although her acting received criticism, she was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu, and the film was a commercial success. In 2005, she had a minor role in Sarkar as Abhishek Bachchan’s girlfriend before landing a more significant part in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, alongside Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen, and Sohail Khan. She considered it her true entry into Bollywood, and her role as a suicidal model earned her the Stardust Award for Breakthrough Performance – Female. Critics praised her charming screen presence. She also appeared in the Telugu film Allari Pidugu the same year, though her role was minimal.

In 2006, Katrina Kaif starred in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, marking her first collaboration with Akshay Kumar. Despite the film’s commercial failure, critics noted her performance as competent but overshadowed by supporting actresses. She also appeared in the Malayalam crime thriller Balram vs. Tharadas alongside Mammootty.

Her breakthrough came in 2007 with four box-office hits. She considered Namastey London her first major role, playing a British Indian woman torn between cultures. While the film received mixed reviews, critics praised Kaif’s performance, and her chemistry with Akshay Kumar was well received. That year, she also played a doctor in the sports drama Apne, followed by Partner, a remake of Hitch, which became a major success. She ended the year with Welcome, another box-office hit, though critics noted her roles were largely decorative.

In 2008, Kaif starred in Race as Saif Ali Khan’s secretary and Akshaye Khanna’s lover, but her performance was considered unimpressive. She reunited with Akshay Kumar for Singh Is Kinng, which became her sixth consecutive box-office success despite mixed reviews of her acting. However, her final film of the year, Yuvvraaj, was a commercial failure. To prepare for her role as a cellist, she trained with orchestra musicians, earning praise for her dedication, even as the film received a lukewarm response.

During this period, Kaif’s dialogue was often dubbed due to her limited Hindi proficiency. While her films were commercially successful, critics noted her roles were largely ornamental in male-dominated projects. She defended her choices, emphasizing her desire to learn rather than chase serious roles. In 2008, she also participated in Shah Rukh Khan’s Temptations Reloaded world tour alongside Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, performing across multiple international venues.

After a series of glamorous “arm candy” roles, Katrina Kaif sought more substantial characters, leading to her role in New York (2009), a terrorism drama by Kabir Khan. Starring alongside John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh, she played Maya, a college student unknowingly married to a terrorist. Drawing from her own experiences of racial discrimination in London, she connected deeply with the role. The film was a commercial success and earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. Critics praised her performance, with The Times of India calling it her best yet. That year, she also had a cameo in Blue, starred opposite Ranbir Kapoor in the hit comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and appeared in De Dana Dan. Additionally, she performed with Akon at the closing ceremony of the 2009 Indian Premier League.

In 2010, Kaif played a pivotal role in Prakash Jha’s political thriller Raajneeti, inspired by The Mahabharata and The Godfather. Portraying Indu, a politician loosely based on Draupadi, she studied Priyanka Gandhi’s election campaigns for preparation. The film was a major success, earning ₹1.4 billion (US$16 million). Later that year, she reunited with Akshay Kumar in Tees Maar Khan, featuring the hit item number “Sheila Ki Jawani”. While the song was a massive success, the film underperformed, and her role received mixed reviews.

In 2011, Kaif starred opposite Hrithik Roshan in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, playing Laila, a diving instructor who inspires Roshan’s character. Overcoming her fear of scuba diving for the role, she delivered a widely appreciated performance. The film was both a critical and commercial hit, receiving multiple Best Film awards. She followed it with Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, where her portrayal of the lively Dimple Dixit was well-received, earning her another Filmfare nomination for Best Actress.

In 2012, Kaif featured in the Lavani-style item number “Chikni Chameli” in Agneepath, which was praised for her energetic performance. She then starred in Ek Tha Tiger as a Pakistani ISI agent opposite Salman Khan. The film was a blockbuster, becoming the highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year with ₹3.1 billion (US$36 million). Later, she played Meera in Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan alongside Shah Rukh Khan. While the film was a box-office success, her performance received mixed reviews. Following Chopra’s passing, she participated in a tribute fashion show in his memory.

In 2013, Kaif performed at the Temptations Reloaded concert in Muscat and at the IPL opening ceremony. That year, she starred in Dhoom 3 with Aamir Khan, portraying a circus performer. She trained in aerial stunts and pilates for the role. Although the film received mixed reviews, it became the highest-grossing Bollywood film at the time, earning ₹5.42 billion (US$63 million).

Kaif’s next appearance was in Siddharth Anand’s Bang Bang! (2014), a remake of the 2010 action comedy Knight and Day, playing a bank receptionist entangled with a secret agent (Hrithik Roshan). While the film was a commercial success, it underperformed at the box office, and her performance received criticism.

In Phantom (2015), a counter-terrorism thriller, she portrayed a former RAW agent, preparing for the role by learning Arabic. The film, along with her next two releases—Fitoor (2016) and Baar Baar Dekho (2016)—failed commercially. Fitoor, an adaptation of Great Expectations, saw her struggle in dramatic scenes, while Baar Baar Dekho was noted mainly for its hit song “Kala Chashma”. That same year, she joined the “Dream Team Tour” with other Bollywood celebrities, performing in the U.S.

In 2017, Kaif appeared in Jagga Jasoos alongside Ranbir Kapoor. The film faced delays, received mixed reviews, and disappointed at the box office. Later that year, she reprised her role as Zoya in Tiger Zinda Hai with Salman Khan. The action thriller became her highest-grossing film, earning over ₹5.6 billion ($65 million) worldwide. Critics praised her action sequences, calling her performance fierce and dynamic.

In 2018, Kaif appeared in two big-budget films—Thugs of Hindostan and Zero. Despite high expectations, both films flopped. She admitted to investing little effort in Thugs of Hindostan due to her minor role. However, in Zero, she played an alcoholic actress and won critical acclaim for her raw and emotional portrayal, earning a Zee Cine Award and a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2019, Katrina Kaif starred in Bharat alongside Salman Khan, replacing Priyanka Chopra in the role of an engineer. She dismissed rumors that she took the part as a favor to Khan, emphasizing her interest in the script. The film became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year, with critics noting her chemistry with Khan.

Her next project, Sooryavanshi (2021), faced multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic but emerged as a box-office success. She played Akshay Kumar’s wife in the Rohit Shetty-directed action film. In 2022, she appeared in the horror-comedy Phone Bhoot, though critics were unimpressed with her comedic timing.

Kaif reprised her role as Zoya in Tiger 3 (2023), undergoing intense physical training for action sequences. The film had the biggest opening weekend of her career and grossed over ₹4.6 billion ($53 million) worldwide.

In 2024, she starred in Merry Christmas with Vijay Sethupathi, with separate Hindi and Tamil versions filmed. She found filming in Tamil challenging but received praise for her performance. Despite positive reviews, the film underperformed commercially.

Off-screen work

Katrina Kaif actively supports various charitable causes while maintaining a low profile about her philanthropy. She works closely with Relief Projects India, her mother’s charitable trust, which focuses on underprivileged children, education, and preventing female infanticide. She donates a portion of her earnings annually and has contributed her game show winnings to her mother’s Mercy Home orphanage. To raise funds for a school built by the charity, she recorded the nursery rhyme album Rhyme Skool (2010) with A. R. Rahman. Additionally, she has donated clothes and personal belongings to support prenatal care initiatives.

Kaif advocates for gender equality, women’s empowerment, and domestic violence awareness. She has spoken on the importance of education in fighting gender inequality and supports closing the gender pay gap in Bollywood. In 2016, she was a speaker at the UN Women’s WeUnite conference for gender equality. She has also backed LGBT rights and cancer awareness, visiting the Cancer Patients Aid Association and appearing in campaigns for children’s education.

She has long been associated with the Being Human Foundation, participating in charity fashion shows in 2009 and 2010. In 2018, she became the ambassador of Educate Girls, promoting education for girls in rural India. Her role included visiting a remote village in Madhya Pradesh.

In 2019, she launched the #Kare initiative under her cosmetics brand Kay Beauty, supporting rural women’s employment and other social causes. She has also been involved with efforts to combat human trafficking with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and participated in NDTV’s Jai Jawan program, visiting soldiers in Jammu.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Kaif donated to the PM CARES Fund and Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. She also financially supported 100 film industry dancers affected by the pandemic.