Karisma Kapoor on Brown, Bollywood’s Changing Landscape and Her 90s Hits: “I’ve Done Films Without a Script”

Karisma Kapoor is stepping into a very different world with Brown, the upcoming crime thriller in which she plays a troubled Kolkata police officer. Far removed from the colourful, energetic roles that defined much of her 1990s career, the series gives the actor an intensely layered character and an opportunity to explore a darker side of her craft.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kapoor opened up about transforming into Rita Brown, returning to a demanding role after her streaming appearances in Mentalhood and Murder Mubarak, her memories of working in the 1990s and how Bollywood has changed over the course of her career.

Karisma Kapoor’s Darkest Role Yet?

In Brown, Karisma plays Rita Brown, a police officer from Kolkata whose personal life is marked by emotional turmoil. The character is portrayed as a smoker and alcoholic struggling with her own demons while being drawn back into police work.

For Kapoor, the role presented an opportunity to play someone almost entirely unlike herself.

“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink. She’s completely opposite to Karisma Kapoor,” she said in the interview.

What attracted her to the character, however, was precisely that contrast. Kapoor described Rita as a deeply damaged woman carrying considerable emotional weight rather than simply another detective with a conventional backstory.

“She was so bare, so raw,” Kapoor said.

The character’s vulnerability and complicated relationship with her profession became some of the aspects that interested the actor most.

Why Karisma Initially Turned Down Brown

Interestingly, Kapoor did not immediately agree to headline the series.

She recalled being approached while she was shooting an advertisement at Mehboob Studios. The production team from Zee Studios presented the project to her, but she initially declined.

The production would require a lengthy shoot away from home, and Kapoor said she did not feel ready to commit at that point.

The makers subsequently requested some additional time to explain the character and project to her. Once she heard more about Rita Brown, her response changed.

After understanding the character, Kapoor decided that the role was worth stepping outside her initial reservations for.

Kolkata Becomes Part of the Story

Although Kapoor had visited Kolkata several times previously, Brown marked her first opportunity to shoot a film or series there.

The production travelled across several distinctive parts of the city, including Bow Barracks, Kumartuli and Chinatown.

For Kapoor, Kolkata was not simply a backdrop for the story.

“Kolkata is a character in Brown,” she explained, noting that the series presents a version of the city different from many of its earlier cinematic representations.

That approach made the shoot particularly interesting for her, allowing the locations and atmosphere of Kolkata to contribute directly to the crime thriller’s world.

From Mentalhood to Murder Mubarak and Now Brown

Kapoor’s return to screen has seen her take on a variety of projects.

She made her streaming debut with Mentalhood in 2020 and later appeared in Homi Adajania’s ensemble mystery film Murder Mubarak.

However, Kapoor does not necessarily view Brown as a straightforward continuation of those projects.

She revealed that her decision to do Murder Mubarak was largely influenced by her longstanding friendship with director Homi Adajania. According to Kapoor, Adajania approached her with an unusual character and asked her to consider the role.

The actor ultimately filmed her part in around 10 days.

With Brown, however, the commitment was substantially different.

Kapoor sees the crime thriller as a particularly challenging role because of the emotional layers built into Rita Brown.

“I Have Not Watched Any of My Films”

Despite having an extensive filmography, Kapoor revealed that she rarely watches her own movies.

She explained that actors can be especially critical of their own performances, making it difficult to simply sit back and enjoy a finished film.

She recalled the experience of watching trial footage during Raja Hindustani and finding herself analysing her own performance rather than simply enjoying the film.

Kapoor said this tendency to critique herself is something she shares with her sister, actor Kareena Kapoor.

For her, ultimately, the audience’s reaction matters more than her own assessment.

“The audience should love the movie and love you, that’s the most important thing and that’s what makes me happy,” she said.

Karisma Kapoor Remembers the Improvisation of 90s Bollywood

Kapoor’s career began during a very different era of Hindi cinema.

Looking back, she said filmmaking was often much less formalised than it is today. Actors and directors sometimes worked with little or no written material, developing scenes directly on set.

She recalled working with filmmaker David Dhawan, who could communicate an entire creative direction through a brief instruction.

Kapoor cited Haseena Maan Jaayegi as an example of a film where several scenes were developed through improvisation.

The atmosphere on those sets, she recalled, resembled a close-knit performing troupe, with actors such as Govinda, Paresh Rawal, Kader Khan and Shakti Kapoor working together repeatedly.

That familiarity created a natural comic rhythm that helped shape the performances.

“I’ve Done Four Shifts in a Day”

While the spontaneity of 1990s filmmaking had its advantages, the working schedule could also be extremely demanding.

Kapoor recalled periods when she worked as many as four shifts in a single day, including shoots in Mumbai and Hyderabad.

She entered the film industry as a teenager and spent years learning through experience.

For Kapoor, the career has been a gradual process of understanding the profession while continuing to evolve.

Her perspective on work has also changed with time.

Today, she says she has a much clearer understanding of the balance she wants between professional commitments and family life.

“I believe in it deeply,” she said of maintaining that balance.

How Bollywood Has Changed

Kapoor acknowledges that the contemporary film industry is considerably more structured than it was during the early part of her career.

Scripts, contracts, agencies, legal agreements and production systems have become increasingly formalised.

She believes there are clear advantages to that development because greater structure can make filmmaking more organised.

At the same time, she remembers an era when projects could be driven almost entirely by instinct, trust and creative collaboration.

Her comments offer a glimpse into how dramatically the working culture of mainstream Hindi cinema has evolved over three decades.

Karisma and Kareena Kapoor: “Family Is the Most Important Thing”

Despite their individual careers, Karisma and Kareena Kapoor continue to share a close relationship.

Asked about their bond today, Karisma said that the importance of family has remained constant.

She described herself as her younger sister’s “biggest cheerleader” and said the support works both ways.

For the actor, family time remains an essential part of life.

“That unconditional love and support has always been there and always will be,” she said.

Brown Marks a New Chapter for Karisma Kapoor

From glamorous commercial entertainers to emotionally demanding performances, Karisma Kapoor’s career has covered a remarkable range.

Brown now places her in a world of crime, trauma and psychological complexity, giving audiences a version of the actor that is far removed from the roles that made her a 1990s favourite.

The project also reflects Kapoor’s willingness to embrace characters that challenge her rather than simply repeat familiar territory.

For an actor who has spent decades watching Bollywood transform around her, Brown could become another significant chapter in an already varied career.