Karisma Kapoor was one of the biggest stars of the 1990s. The actor recently reflected on the work culture of that era and revealed how filmmaking functioned very differently back then. According to Karisma, actors often did not receive bound scripts, and many scenes were developed on the spot. She added that even several blockbuster films were made using this approach.
‘Films had no script’
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Karisma shared, “In a way, it’s really good that things are streamlined. Back then we worked on gut instinct, passion, and belief. There are so many films I’ve done that had no script or written scenes. You would go to the set and it would all get developed on set within minutes. These are big, hit films I am talking about.”
On working with Govinda and David Dhawan
Speaking about working with top filmmaker David Dhawan and his unique style of filmmaking, Karisma said, “A director like David Dhawan would just tell me, in Hindi, “Faad do” (kill it) and I’d understand exactly what he wanted. A lot of scenes in Haseena Maan Jaayegi, for instance, were entirely improvised. We were like a crew or a gang—Chi Chi (Govinda), Paresh ji, Kader bhai, Shakti ji. We’d be working together on a different film every day. So there was a great comic synergy between us, almost like a theatre troupe.”
For the unveresed, Karisma and Govinda formed one of the most successful on-screen pairings of the 1990s, delivering several comedy hits together.
About Brown
Karisma is currently busy promoting her web series Brown, in which she plays the role of a cop. Talking about the show, Karisma said that the character does not follow the typical police-officer template of being driven solely by past trauma or a conventional redemption arc.
She explained that the character is a broken woman who struggles with alcoholism and smoking. Karisma noted that the role is completely different from her real-life personality, as she neither smokes nor drinks.
The actor also shared that she has never portrayed such a raw and vulnerable character before. She described the character as burdened and emotionally exhausted, someone who is simply trying to get through life while continuing to do her job. Elaborating further, Karisma said her character genuinely loves being a police officer but is simultaneously dealing with her own personal battles. She added that the many layers of the role are what made it so fascinating to portray.
Karisma was last seen in Homi Adajania’s multi-starrer crime thriller Murder Mubarak.