Katrina Kaif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katrina Kaif
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Kaif promoting Bharat in 2019
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| Born |
Katrina Turquotte
16 July 1983 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2003–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Vicky Kaushal
(m. 2021) |
| Awards | Full list |
Katrina Kaif (born Katrina Turquotte, 16 July 1983) is a British actress. She is famous for her work in Hindi-language films, also known as Bollywood. Katrina is one of the highest-paid actresses in India. She has won many awards, including four Screen Awards and four Zee Cine Awards. She has also been nominated three times for the Filmfare Awards. People especially know her for her roles in action movies and her amazing dancing skills.
Katrina was born in British Hong Kong. She lived in many different countries before moving to London for three years. She started modeling as a teenager. Later, she became a successful fashion model. An Indian filmmaker named Kaizad Gustad saw her at a fashion show in London. He cast her in his movie Boom (2003). This movie was not successful.
Even though Boom didn't do well, Katrina became a successful model in India. At first, it was hard for her to get movie roles because she didn't speak Hindi very well. After acting in the Telugu film Malliswari (2004), she became very popular in Bollywood. This happened with her romantic comedies Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) and Namastey London (2007). She then starred in many successful movies. Some people criticized her acting and said her roles were too similar.
Katrina's acting improved in the thriller New York (2009) and the romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). These roles earned her nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She continued to succeed with roles in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009), Raajneeti (2010), and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011). She also starred in very successful action thrillers like Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Dhoom 3 (2013), and Bang Bang! (2014). These films were among the highest-earning Indian films of that time.
After a short break, she returned with more action films. These included Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Sooryavanshi (2021), and Tiger 3 (2023). The drama Bharat (2019) was also a big hit.
In the media, Katrina Kaif is often seen as one of India's most popular and attractive celebrities. She promotes many brands. In 2019, she launched her own makeup line called Kay Beauty. She also performs in stage shows. Katrina is involved with her mother's charity, Relief Projects India. This charity helps children who are not as lucky. Katrina is married to actor Vicky Kaushal.
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Early Life and Family Background
Katrina Kaif was born in British Hong Kong on 16 July 1983. She used her mother's last name, Turquotte, at birth. Her father, Mohammed Kaif, is a British businessman with Kashmiri roots. Her mother, Suzanne, is an English lawyer and charity worker. Katrina has seven siblings. One of her sisters, Isabel, is also a model and actress.
Katrina's parents divorced when she was a child. Her father moved to the United States. She has said that her father was not part of her or her siblings' lives as they grew up. Their mother raised them. In an interview in 2009, she mentioned she was not in touch with her father.
Because Katrina's mother is a social activist, her family moved to many different countries. They lived in each place for different amounts of time. Because of this, Katrina and her siblings were home-schooled by tutors. Katrina lived in London for three years before moving to India.
When she was 14, Katrina won a beauty contest in Hawaii. She got her first modeling job for a jewelry company. After that, she worked as a professional model in London. She worked for agencies and appeared often at London Fashion Week. During this time, she visited India for the first time. A friend from Asia suggested they travel there.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting in Films (2003–2005)
At a fashion show, Katrina Kaif caught the eye of London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad. She made her acting debut in Gustad's Hindi-English film Boom. Famous actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff were also in it. While filming in India, Katrina received other offers. She decided to stay in the country. She then changed her last name to her father's, Kaif. She thought it would be easier for people to say.
Katrina became a well-known model in India. She walked the ramp for Rohit Bal at the India Fashion Week. She also appeared in the first Kingfisher Calendar. She promoted big brands like Coca-Cola, LG, and Samsung. Soon, she had a very successful modeling career in India.
Boom (2003) was shown at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. But it was not successful with critics or at the box office. Katrina played a supermodel caught in the Mumbai underworld. Her acting was not well received. Critics said she seemed expressionless. Katrina later said Boom was not an important part of her career. She explained that she didn't know much about Indian audiences' film tastes back then.
After Boom was released, some people thought Katrina would not succeed because her Hindi was not good. Her British accent was also very strong. Because of this, filmmakers were careful about casting her. Katrina started taking Hindi classes to improve her speaking.
After her first Bollywood film failed, Katrina appeared in the Telugu film Malliswari (2004). She played a princess who had to run away from a dangerous caretaker. Katrina reportedly earned a lot of money for this film, which was the highest for a female lead in South Indian cinema at that time. Even though her acting got negative reviews, she was nominated for an award. Malliswari made good money.
In 2005, Katrina had a small role in the film Sarkar. She then starred with Salman Khan in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?. She called this film her "first real step into Bollywood". This romantic comedy was a successful remake of an old film. For her role as a model, Katrina won an award. Critics liked her charming presence on screen. She then appeared in her second Telugu film, Allari Pidugu.
Rising to Fame (2006–2008)
In 2006, Katrina appeared in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. This was the first time she worked with Akshay Kumar. They played two strangers who fall in love even though they are engaged to other people. Later that year, she also acted in a Malayalam film called Balram vs. Tharadas.
Katrina's career got much better in 2007. She starred in four Bollywood hits. She called Vipul Amrutlal Shah's romantic comedy Namastey London her first important role. Katrina used her own experiences of living in London for her character, Jasmeet Malhotra. Jasmeet is a spoiled British Indian girl who wants to marry her British boyfriend, even though her parents don't approve. Critics liked her in this role. Her chemistry with co-star Akshay Kumar was also very popular. Many filmmakers cast Katrina as a non-resident Indian. This was because of her foreign looks and English accent, which people found appealing.
Katrina had a supporting role in the sports drama Apne. This film was special because it starred Dharmendra and his sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, together for the first time. After Apne, she worked again with director David Dhawan and Salman Khan in the comedy Partner. This film was a big financial success. Katrina's last film of 2007 was Anees Bazmee's comedy Welcome. It was the second highest-earning Bollywood film of 2007. Critics noticed that Katrina often played similar roles, where she was mostly there for her looks.
In 2008, Katrina had three film releases. The first was the action thriller Race. Katrina played a secretary who is secretly in love with her boss's stepbrother. She then worked with Akshay Kumar again in the action comedy Singh Is Kinng. This film also earned a lot of money. However, her acting in it received mixed reviews. Katrina's last film of the year, Yuvvraaj, was not successful at the box office. For her role as a cellist, she practiced with orchestra members.
Up until this time, other people often spoke Katrina's lines in her films. This was because she was not fluent in Hindi. Even though her films were making money, critics said she played small roles. They also said her performances were often criticized. Katrina said she chose these glamorous roles to learn more about acting. She did not believe she needed to look simple to prove she was a good actress. In 2008, Katrina joined Shah Rukh Khan's "Temptations Reloaded" world concert tour.
Big Success (2009–2013)
After playing many glamorous roles, Katrina started looking for more important parts. One such chance came with Kabir Khan's drama New York (2009). The film was about three friends. Katrina played Maya, a college student who marries a terrorist without knowing it. New York did well at the box office and got good reviews. Critics said Katrina was successful in a serious role. They praised how she showed her character changing from a carefree student to a troubled wife. This film earned Katrina her first Filmfare Award nomination.
She then had a small role in India's first underwater thriller, Blue. Katrina also starred with Ranbir Kapoor in the hit comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009). She played an orphan who is forced to marry a rich man. Critics liked the energy between Katrina and Ranbir. They also said Katrina performed well in both emotional and funny scenes. Her last film of the year was the comedy De Dana Dan. She also performed with Akon at the closing ceremony of the 2009 Indian Premier League.
In 2010, Katrina appeared in Prakash Jha's political thriller Raajneeti. She was part of a big cast including Ranbir Kapoor and Ajay Devgan. The film was inspired by The Mahabharata and The Godfather. It was about a tough election campaign. Katrina played Indu, a politician. To prepare, she watched videos of Priyanka Gandhi's election campaigns. The film received mostly good reviews. Critics found Katrina's performance natural and convincing. The film was very successful at the box office.
Katrina worked with Akshay Kumar for the sixth time in the comedy Tees Maar Khan (2010). She played an aspiring actress who is the girlfriend of a criminal. In the film, Katrina performed a very popular dance number called "Sheila Ki Jawani". She was trained in belly dancing for this song. While the song was a huge hit, the film itself was not liked by critics and did not do well.
The next year, Katrina was paired with Hrithik Roshan in Zoya Akhtar's film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. This film was about three friends on a bachelor trip. Katrina played Laila, a diving instructor who falls in love with Hrithik's character. She helps him overcome his work habits. Katrina found filming her scuba diving scene difficult because she was new to it. The film was a big success. Critics said she was "delightful" in her role. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara won many awards for Best Film.
The romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) starred Katrina with Imran Khan. Katrina found the role of Dimple Dixit challenging. Dimple was talkative and unpredictable, which was very different from Katrina's own personality. The film received mixed reviews, but Katrina's acting was generally praised. For this role, she received her second Filmfare nomination for Best Actress.
In 2012, Katrina appeared in "Chikni Chameli", a dance number in Agneepath. This song used steps from the Lavani style, a folk dance from Maharashtra. Filming the music video was hard for Katrina because the style was new to her. Critics said her "infectious energy" helped make the song a success.
Katrina then appeared in Kabir Khan's spy thriller Ek Tha Tiger. She played a Pakistani spy who falls in love with an Indian spy. The film received mostly good reviews. Critics praised Katrina's performance. With earnings of over 3.1 billion rupees, Ek Tha Tiger was the highest-earning Bollywood film of 2012.
Later in 2012, Katrina was paired with Shah Rukh Khan in Yash Chopra's last film, the romance Jab Tak Hai Jaan. She was very excited to work with Chopra, calling him the "king of romance". She played Meera, a woman who promises to end her affair if her lover survives a coma. The film received mostly good reviews, but Katrina's performance had mixed reactions. Commercially, the film was a box-office hit. Katrina later participated in a fashion show held to honor Chopra.
In 2013, Katrina joined Shah Rukh Khan for his "Temptations Reloaded" concert in Muscat. She also joined Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Pitbull in Kolkata for the opening ceremony of the 2013 IPL season. In 2013, she had a small role with Aamir Khan in the action thriller Dhoom 3. To prepare for her role as a circus performer, she trained for a year. The film received mixed reviews, and Katrina was criticized for taking a small part. However, critics praised her graceful dancing. Earning over 5.42 billion rupees, Dhoom 3 became the highest-earning Bollywood film of all time until 2014.
Career Changes (2014–2018)
Katrina's next film was Bang Bang! (2014), a remake of an action comedy. She played a bank receptionist who gets involved with a secret agent. The film was successful, but some critics did not like her performance. Katrina's only film in 2015 was Phantom. She played a former spy and learned some Arabic for the role.
Phantom and Katrina's next two films, Fitoor and Baar Baar Dekho, were not successful. In Fitoor, Katrina played a role based on a classic character. Critics said she was good in dance scenes but not in dramatic ones. She was paired with Sidharth Malhotra in the science-fiction romance Baar Baar Dekho. Critics found Katrina expressionless but praised her energetic dance number in "Kala Chashma". In 2016, she also joined other Indian celebrities for the "Dream Team Tour" in America.
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Katrina then acted with Ranbir Kapoor in Jagga Jasoos. This film was released in 2017 after many delays. It received mixed reviews and was not a commercial success. Later in 2017, Katrina worked with Salman Khan again in the action thriller Tiger Zinda Hai. She played Zoya, a spy, in this sequel to Ek Tha Tiger. The film was a huge success at the box office. It earned over 5.6 billion rupees worldwide, becoming her highest-earning film.
Katrina's two films in 2018, Thugs of Hindostan and Zero, were made with large budgets. Even though they were highly anticipated, both films were not successful. Katrina admitted she didn't have a big role in Thugs of Hindostan. In Zero, she reunited with Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. Katrina was at first unsure about taking a supporting role. But she agreed after the director insisted. Critics praised her performance in Zero, calling her a "revelation". She won a Zee Cine Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. She also received a Filmfare nomination.
Recent Work (2019–Present)
In 2019, Katrina worked with Salman Khan again in the drama Bharat. This film was based on a South Korean movie. Katrina played an engineer who falls in love with Khan's character. Bharat became one of the highest-earning Hindi films of 2019. Critics noted the good chemistry between Katrina and Khan.
Katrina's only film in 2020 would have been Sooryavanshi with Akshay Kumar. But the COVID-19 pandemic in India caused delays. It was finally released in November 2021. Katrina played the wife of Kumar's character. Sooryavanshi was a box-office success. Katrina next played a ghost in the comedy horror film Phone Bhoot (2022).
Katrina returned as Zoya in Tiger 3 (2023), part of the YRF Spy Universe. She said the two months of physical training for her stunts were the hardest of her career. Critics said Katrina "gets to steal a couple of scenes" in the film. Tiger 3 had the biggest opening weekend of Katrina's career. It went on to earn over 4.6 billion rupees worldwide.
In 2024, Katrina starred with Vijay Sethupathi in the thriller Merry Christmas. The film was about two strangers who meet on Christmas Eve. Two versions were shot, one in Hindi and one in Tamil. Katrina found filming the Tamil version especially hard because she didn't understand the language. Critics praised the chemistry between Katrina and Sethupathi. They also said Katrina showed a rare openness in her performance. However, the film was not commercially successful.
Personal Life and Family
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Katrina has a close relationship with her family. She feels a strong sense of responsibility towards them because her father was not present in her life. Katrina's mother is Christian and her father is Muslim. Katrina says she was allowed to practice any faith she chose. She describes herself as a "firm believer in God". Reports in 2009 said she visits religious places like Siddhivinayak Temple, Mount Mary Church, and Sufi shrine Ajmer Sharif Dargah before her films are released.
Katrina prefers not to talk much about her personal life. She believes there is a private life before and after marriage. She wants to keep her single life private and with dignity.
Rumors about a relationship with actor Salman Khan started in 2003. Years after they broke up, Katrina spoke about it. She called it her first serious relationship. They have remained friends. She credits Khan for giving her confidence and guidance.
Katrina was also linked to actor Ranbir Kapoor during the filming of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. In August 2013, photos of Kapoor and Kaif on vacation were leaked. This was seen as proof of their relationship. Katrina said she was "upset, distressed and invaded" by this privacy breach. They broke up in 2016.
Katrina married actor Vicky Kaushal on 9 December 2021. They had a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in Rajasthan. Their wedding was widely covered by the media. Their official wedding pictures became the most-liked post on Instagram in India at that time.
Off-Screen Work and Charity
Katrina Kaif supports many good causes and charities. She has been praised for keeping her charity work private. She donates some of her earnings each year to a fund. Her winnings from game shows like 10 Ka Dum and Kaun Banega Crorepati were given to her mother's Mercy Home orphanage. To raise money for a new school built by her mother's charity, she recorded Rhyme Skool (2010). This was an album of nursery rhymes. Katrina has also donated clothes and personal items to raise money for a special unit for babies in the Mercy Home.
Katrina has spoken out about gender equality, domestic violence, and women's empowerment. She believes education is very important to fight against inequality and violence against women. She has also spoken about the difference in pay between men and women in films. In 2010, Katrina was one of several celebrities who made messages for a group that fights against violence towards women and girls. She was also a speaker at a conference for gender equality in 2016.
Katrina supports LGBT rights and causes related to cancer and children's education. In 2018, Katrina became an ambassador for Educate Girls. This group helps and supports girls' education in remote parts of India. As part of this role, she visited a village in Madhya Pradesh.
In 2019, she started the #Kare initiatives. This is a charity program under her makeup brand, Kay Beauty. It supports various social causes, including helping rural women find jobs. Katrina visited soldiers in Jammu for a TV show in 2011. She also walked the ramp for charity fashion shows. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she donated money to relief funds. She also helped fund 100 dancers from the Hindi film industry.
See also
In Spanish: Katrina Kaif para niños
