Kareena Kapoor has spent over two decades as one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, but her filmography has always had a strong performer underneath the stardom. From the raw vulnerability of Chameli to the emotional turmoil of Heroine, she has repeatedly taken on roles that pushed her beyond the glamorous heroine image. As she now steps into the shoes of DCP Ajooni Kohli in Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra, here are five performances that showcase her range.

Chameli

Chameli was the performance that made people look at Kareena differently. Playing a woman living on the margins of society, Kareena brought vulnerability, humour and a rawness that was unusual for a mainstream actress of her time. She moved far away from her star image and made Chameli feel completely lived-in. It remains one of the most important performances of her early career.

Omkara

As Dolly Mishra in Omkara, Kareena showed how much she could do with restraint. Her performance was quiet and deeply emotional, capturing Dolly’s innocence, love and heartbreak without unnecessary dramatics. It was a sharp departure from the bubbly roles she was known for at the time and earned her the Filmfare Critics’ Award for Best Actress.

Jab We Met

Geet is arguably Kareena’s most iconic character, but beneath the chatter, confidence and memorable one-liners was a surprisingly layered performance. Kareena made Geet funny and infectious while also bringing out her loneliness and heartbreak when her world falls apart. The role became a pop-culture favourite and remains one of her career-defining performances.

Heroine

In Heroine, Kareena played Mahi Arora, a successful actress struggling with insecurity, loneliness and the pressures of stardom. The role allowed her to turn the spotlight on the industry she herself belonged to, while exploring the vulnerability behind a glamorous public image. Kareena brought enough contradictions to Mahi to make her more than just another troubled Bollywood heroine.

Daayra

With Daayra, Kareena takes another interesting turn as DCP Ajooni Kohli. Directed by Meghna Gulzar and co-starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film puts her at the centre of a morally complicated investigation. After playing characters as varied as Chameli, Dolly, Geet and Mahi, Kareena now steps into an Indian police uniform for the first time, bringing a more restrained and serious shade to her screen persona. Daayra releases on September 18.