Born on 21 September 1980[1] in Bombay (now Mumbai), Kapoor (often informally referred to as 'Bebo')[3] is the younger daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita (néeShivdasani);[4] her elder sister Karisma is also an actress. She is the paternal granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, maternal granddaughter of actor Hari Shivdasani, and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her.[5] She is of Punjabi descent on her father's side,[6] and on her mother's side she is of Sindhi andBritish descent.[7] As a child, Kapoor regularly practised Hinduism with her family, but was also exposed to Christianity from her mother.[8]
Describing herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in acting;[2]she was particularly inspired by the work of actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.[9]Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering films because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family.[10] This led to a conflict between her parents, and they separated.[11] She was then raised by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.[12] After living separately for several years, her parents reconciled in October 2007.[11] Kapoor remarked "My father is also an important factor in my life [...] [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now."[12]
Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, followed by Welham Girls' School in Dehradun.[9] She attended the institution primarily to satisfy her mother, though later admitted to liking the experience.[2] According to Kapoor, she wasn't inclined towards academics though received good grades in all her classes except mathematics.[2] After graduating from Welham she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College inVile Parle (Mumbai).[9] Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard Summer Schoolin the United States.[9] She later developed an interest in law, and enrolled at theGovernment Law College, Mumbai; during this period, she developed a long-lasting passion for reading.[9] However, after completing her first year, Kapoor decided to pursue her interest to become an actress.[13] She began training at an acting institute in Mumbai mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
Describing herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in acting;[2]she was particularly inspired by the work of actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.[9]Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering films because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family.[10] This led to a conflict between her parents, and they separated.[11] She was then raised by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.[12] After living separately for several years, her parents reconciled in October 2007.[11] Kapoor remarked "My father is also an important factor in my life [...] [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now."[12]
Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, followed by Welham Girls' School in Dehradun.[9] She attended the institution primarily to satisfy her mother, though later admitted to liking the experience.[2] According to Kapoor, she wasn't inclined towards academics though received good grades in all her classes except mathematics.[2] After graduating from Welham she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College inVile Parle (Mumbai).[9] Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard Summer Schoolin the United States.[9] She later developed an interest in law, and enrolled at theGovernment Law College, Mumbai; during this period, she developed a long-lasting passion for reading.[9] However, after completing her first year, Kapoor decided to pursue her interest to become an actress.[13] She began training at an acting institute in Mumbai mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
