Veteran photographer RT Chawla reveals younger Kareena Kapoor ‘guided' elder sister Karisma during her early career: ‘Mom Babita was also there, but…'

Indian Express

21-07-2025

Bollywood stars and siblings Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor have never shied away from expressing their deep love for each other. Not only do they share a warm and compassionate bond, but they've also been each other's biggest cheerleaders since childhood. Recently, legendary Bollywood photographer RT Chawla shared an interesting anecdote from the Kapoor sisters' younger days, back when Karisma had just started out and Kareena was yet to make her debut. He revealed that, despite being younger, Kareena often guided her elder sister, particularly in matters related to work. This highlighted Bebo's natural flair and hinted at the star actor she would one day become.
Mentioning that he shares a very strong bond with Karisma, Chawla called her the female actor he has photographed the most. Recalling how Karisma always invited him to accompany her on shoots, he said that she introduced him as her 'friend' on sets where people didn't know him well, ensuring he was treated with warmth and respect.
'Initially, her mother (retired actor Babita) used to always come along with Karisma to movie sets. But it wasn't Babita who guided her, but little Kareena, although she was younger. Whenever she returned after giving a shot, Karisma would always ask Kareena if she did well. And Kareena (if she didn't like her performance) would say, 'No, it wasn't good. Do it this way,'' he said, mimicking Kareena's hand gestures suggesting a different approach. 'Kareena guided Karisma back then when she was young,' he shared during a chat with actor Aartii Naagpal on her YouTube show Chitt Ki Baat.
Meanwhile, this sparked a memory for Aartii Naagpal, who recalled working on director Iqbal Durrani's Khuddar (1994), which featured Govinda, Karisma Kapoor and Kader Khan in key roles. Aartii, who played Govinda's sister in the film, said, 'We were shooting for Khuddar in Chennai. We had a one-month schedule there, and the shoot mostly happened outdoors. I clearly remember Babita ji being on set, sitting and reading a book. Meanwhile, Kareena would be there too, watching the monitor. She must have been in Class 10 back then. There was a noticeable age gap between them, right? Karisma and I were very young ourselves, but Kareena was even younger. I always thought Babita ji was the one guiding Karisma. But now that you mention it, I realise it was Kareena! I remember Karisma running to Kareena after her shots to get feedback. She was the one offering all the advice,' Aartii shared, adding that Kareena has grown up to be a very talented and accomplished actor.