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Katrina Kaif was born on 16 July 1983 in Hong Kong to an Indian Kashmiri father, Mohammed Kaif, and an English mother, Susanna Turcotte, who is a British citizen. Her parents divorced when she was very young. Kaif once stated, "My dad, unfortunately, and not out of choice, has had no influence on our upbringing, on our religious or social or moral bearings."When she came to India, she changed her surname to that of her father's, Kaif, because it was Indian in origin. Furthermore,Ayesha Shroff has maintained that the actress' original name is Katrina Turquotte. She also claims that they gave her the Indian father and also the surname Kaif after cricketer Mohammad Kaif as he was on top at that time. She adds that they also had thought her naming Katrina Kazi.

Katrina Kaif

Kaif first expressed interest in a modelling career at the age of fourteen, when she won a beauty contest in Hawaii, and subsequently received her first assignment as a model—a jewellery campaign. Kaif continued modelling in London, where she worked for various freelance agencies. She also featured regularly at the London Fashion Week. Her appearance at a fashion show attracted the attention of London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who selected her for a role in the English / Hindi erotic heist film Boom, alongside an ensemble cast consisting of Amitabh Bachchan, Gulshan Grover, Jackie Shroff, Madhu Sapre and Padma Lakshmi. Whilst shooting for the film in India, Kaif began receiving other offers, and decided to stay in the country. She soon established a successful modelling career there after endorsing prominent brands like Coca-Cola, LG, Fevicol and Samsung. Kaif also gained recognition after walking the ramp for Rohit Bal at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2003. Adarsh Gutpta, executive director of Liberty Shoes (co-sponsor of the show) opined that "her professionalism has been truly amazing [...] it is her uninhibited sensibility that I think makes Katrina the perfect choice for advertising lifestyle products."

Kaif's successful modelling stint led to immense anticipation surrounding her Bollywood debut. However, upon release, Boom failed critically as well as commercially. Her enactment of a supermodel ensnared in the Mumbai underworld was not well received, with Ziya U. Salam of The Hindu attributing the poor performances of the film's leading ladies to "the vacuity of their expressions." Post-release, Kaif was initially written off due to her thick British accent. On its failure, Kaif dismissed the film, saying that "I don't countBoom among important happenings in my life. When I signed this film, I didn't know much about India and its film audience. I got to know later that the film had major flaws in terms of script and presentation."

Kaif was later offered a number of modelling assignments, though filmmakers were hesitant to cast her due to her poor command in Hindi; in one such incident, she was unceremoniously removed from the film Saaya. Subsequently, Kaif began working on her diction through Hindi classes.

After the failure of her first Bollywood venture, Kaif took on a Telugu film Malliswari. Cast opposite Daggubati Venkatesh, the film saw Kaif play the titular role of a princess—heiress to

7 billion (US$110 million)—who is forced to flee from her murderous caretaker. For the film, she reportedly received

7.5 million (US$110,000), the highest amount paid to an actress in the South industry at the time of release. Moreover, the film emerged as an economic success.

The following year, Kaif appeared briefly as Abhishek Bachchan's girlfriend in Ram Gopal Verma's political thriller Sarkar, and subsequently featured in her first major Hindi film role in David Dhawan's adaptation of the romantic comedy Cactus Flower entitled Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, alongside Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen and Sohail Khan. The film was a profitable venture, and Kaif gathered recognition for her role as a model with suicidal tendencies; Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com mentions that "Katrina's Disney princess-like charm adds to her adorable screen presence." She followed this with her second Telegu release Allari Pidugu where she played a small role alongside Balakrishna.

In 2006, she was paired opposite Akshay Kumar for the first time (she subsequently appeared alongside Kumar in a number of successful films) in Raj Kanwar's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. The film tells the story of two like-minded strangers who fall in love despite being engaged to other people. Though the film met with a tepid response at the box office, Kaif received appreciation for her performance; Rajeev Masand wrote, "Katrina [...] dazzles every time she's on screen [...] she exploits the potential that this role provides her, and she ends up turning in an impressive act that is sure to get her noticed." Kaif also appeared in a Malayalam film—the crime thriller Balram vs. Tharadas—which was a profitable production. She played an actress who is arrested by police inspector Balram (Mammootty), as a means of trapping her criminal boyfriend Tharadas (also Mammooty). Writing for The Hindu, Rishi Raj Singh was impressed with Kaif's performance and published that she is "marvellous" in her role.

The year 2007 brought about a change in Kaif's acting career, when she appeared in four films, all of which were successful at the box office. In an interview with Businessofcinema.com, Kaif opined that her starring role in Vipul Shah's romantic comedy Namastey London marked an important milestone. She used her experiences in London as a reference point for her role as a spoilt British Indian girl who is intent on marrying her self-centred British boyfriend despite her parent's reproach. Critics were divided in the film itself, though Kaif's performance attracted favourable reviews. Verma mentions that she "suits the role to the T," adding that "the actress brings the zingy mix of her character alive with style and substance." Kaif's chemistry with lead actor Akshay Kumar also generated immense appreciation, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times Of India describing their pairing as "refreshing". She next appeared in a supporting role for the Anil Sharma-directed melodramatic sports film Apne, that featured Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kirron Kher and Shilpa Shetty in prominent roles. After Apne, she reunited with director David Dhawan for the comedy Partner (the unofficial remake of Hitch), where she starred alongside Salman Khan, Govinda and Lara Dutta. With a worldwide revenue of

1.03 billion (US$16 million), the film emerged a blockbuster, despite a mixed critical reception. Kaif's final release of the year was Anees Bazmee's multistarrer comedy Welcome, in which she was cast alongside Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Mallika Sherawat and Anil Kapoor. The film received mixed reviews, though became Kaif's second consecutive blockbuster, with worldwide earnings of

1.16 billion (US$18 million). Despite these films doing well at the box office, Kaif's roles were overlooked as the general perception from critics was that the films did not allow "much for the women to do" and that Kaif was "nothing more than [a] glamourous prop" in her appearances.

The following year, Kaif collaborated with Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy for Abbas-Mustan's action thriller Race. The film follows the story of two stepbrothers-turned-rivals who are in contention of their father's insurance payment. Kaif enacted the role of Ranveer's (Khan) double-crossing secretary and his stepbrother's (Khanna) lover. Race continued Kaif's slew of successes, though Kazmi noted that "Katrina is too pale as the blousy secretary who comes into her own only when she gets seductive with a `Touch me, kiss me' tenor." She was more appreciative of the film, praising its "super cool look [and] testosterone-high action sequences." Kaif was next seen in Anees Bazmee's action comedy Singh Is Kinng, as Akshay Kumar's love interest and Ranvir Shorey's fiancée. With worldwide earnings of

1.25 billion (US$19 million), the film was declared a super hit—making it Kaif's sixth consecutive success at the box office. Kaif earned mixed reviews for her performance; in a particularly scathing review, Rajeev Masand commented that "Katrina Kaif is an eyesore [...] her acting so weak you want to urge her to watch everyone from Madhubala to Madhuri so she might pick up a few tricks."

Kaif's final release of the year, the Subhash Ghai-directed drama Yuvvraaj, was a major failure at the box office. The film narrates the story of three estranged brothers—Deven (Salman Khan), Danny (Zayed Khan) and Gyanesh (Anil Kapoor), and the attempts of the former two into scamming money from their mentally ill brother. To prepare for her role as a cello player, Kaif practised playing the instrument alongside orchestra members. Her portrayal of a girl forbidden by her father from marrying her poor lover, received generally positive reviews; Sonia Chopra of Sify opined that "Katrina is wonderful, plays the cello convincingly, and looks ethereal." Despite the film receiving mixed reviews as a whole, its script was added to the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences due to its artistic merit.

During this period, Kaif's voice was often dubbed by dubbing artists such as Mona Ghosh Shetty, since she was inarticulate in Hindi and other Indian languages. Whilst Kaif was a part of a string of successful movies at this stage, film critics observed that she had little to do as her films were generally male-centric. She also received mostly negative reviews for her acting prowess. On her series of glamorous roles, Kaif reflected that her "first few films were really a process of learning [...] [t]here was no target."

After a string of films in which she was cast merely for her glamour quotient, Kaif's role in the 2009 terrorism drama New York brought her recognition for her acting.The Kabir Khan-directed film narrated the story of three friends and how their lives are changed when one of them is wrongly detained after 9/11. Cast alongside John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kaif portrayed the character of Maya, a college student who is later married to a terrorist. On her role, Kaif remarked that she identified with Maya as she felt similar isolation whilst growing up in London because of her skin colour. Kaif further opined that she had "played the arm candy in one too many films in the past" and was looking to work in more "performance oriented" films like New York. The film did well at the box office and received positive reviews. Subhash K. Jha mentions that Kaif "comes into her own as an actress of substance," adding that "[f]rom the carefree effervescent campus girl to the anguished wife, Katrina makes the journey look plausible all the way." New York earned Kaif her first Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. She also appeared in a cameo for India's first underwater thriller Blue.

Kaif next appeared in Rajkumar Santoshi's hit comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, as an orphan who is forced to marry a rich man against her wishes. Kaif was generally praised for her performance; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama mentioned that "Katrina Kaif continues to surprise [...] She scores in both emotional and light scenes," adding that her chemistry with co-star Ranbir Kapoor is "electrifying." Her final release of the year was in Priyadarshan's multistarrer comedy De Dana Dan, alongside Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Sameera Reddy and Neha Dhupia.

In 2010, Kaif first appeared in Prakash Jha's political thriller Raajneeti. The film, which saw Kaif feature alongside an ensemble cast consisting of Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai and Sarah Thompson, was inspired by the Indian epic The Mahabharata, and Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. Set against the backdrop of Bhopal, the picture narrated the story of a fiercely fought election campaign between two warring parties who attempt to seize power through manipulation, corruption and treachery. Before release, it was largely speculated that Kaif's character was based on Sonia Gandhi, though this was denied by Kaif. In preparation for her role as the dynamic Indu, she watched election campaign videos of Priyanka Vadra in order to study the body language of politicians and their interactions during campaigns. The film met with predominantly positive reviews, though some critics complained about its poor depiction of women, saying that they are all merely "destined" to be "pregnant." The picture received a total collection of

1.4 billion (US$21 million) at the box office, and emerged as a blockbuster. Kaif earned generally favourable reviews for her portrayal; Kazmi mentioned that Kaif is "carefree and camera-unconscious." She also appeared opposite Akshay Kumar in Farah Khan's brainless comedy Tees Maar Khan, as an aspiring actress. Despite overwhelmingly poor reviews from critics, and negative media perception, the film was moderately successful at the box office. Kaif's role was not received well, with Renuka Rao of Daily News and Analysis saying that her "drama queen act is performed [...] poorly," although mentioning that Kaif "does full justice" to her highly publicised item number "Sheila Ki Jawani," which emerged as a chartbuster. In 2011, she was seen alongside Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin in Zoya Akhtar's coming-of-age dramedy Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The film narrates the story of three friends on a bachelor trip, and how the workaholic nature of one of these friends is overcome with the help of Laila (Kaif). The movie emerged as a major commercial success, with worldwide earnings of

1.53 billion (US$23 million). It was also well received by critics; Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph remarked that the film is "beautifully scripted," whilst Mayank Shekhar said that the picture boasted of some "memorable, amusing moments." In addition, Kaif's role as the fun-loving diving instructor was appreciated, with Richard Kuipers of Variety commenting that she is "delightful as the sweet-natured girl who inspires everyone to look in the mirror and do something about it." She next featured in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedyMere Brother Ki Dulhan opposite Imran Khan and Ali Zafar. Kaif described her role of vivacious punk rock girl Dimple Dixit as challenging because the character had contrasting personality traits to herself. Whilst the film earned mixed reviews, Kaif was extensively praised for her portrayal Gaurav Malani of The Economic Times published that the film is watchable because of "Katrina's live-wire energy wherein she never goes overboard and keeps bustling with vivacity through the runtime." Trade analysts also credited the film's box office success to Kaif—who had a heroine-centric role in the film—and reflected that it was the first time she had carried a film on her own shoulders. For her performance, Kaif also received her second Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress category.

In 2012, Kaif first appeared in an immensely popular item song for Agneepath entitled "Chikni Chameli." The song was shot over ten days and saw her dance to a type of Maharashtrian folk dance called Lavani. Kaif commented on the song: "It was hard work. It was very fast and it was not a style I was used to, but I took it as a challenge [...] I am happy people are liking it." She next appeared in Kabir Khan's espionage thriller Ek Tha Tiger as Zoya, an ISI agent who falls in love with an Indian RAW agent. The film received predominantly positive reviews, with Aniruddha Guha ofDaily News and Analysis calling the movie "smart and stylish." Kaif was appreciated for her action quotient, as well as her performance; Shubhra Gupta of the The Indian Express wrote that she is "an able, animated foil to Salman, her long legs making her leaps and kicks credible," and added that "she brings the right degree of playfulness" to her character. The pairing of Kaif with Khan (her ex-boyfriend) resulted in much hype, and the film was hugely successful at the box office; with worldwide earnings of

3.1 billion (US$47 million), the film became the third highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.

Kaif's next appearance was for Yash Chopra's swan song, the romance Jab Tak Hai Jaan, in which she featured alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. On working with Chopra, Kaif remarked that "Yashji undoubtedly is the king of romance and I have always admired the way he presents his heroines. It was always a dream to work with him and the reality is even better."Kaif portrayed Meera, a woman who makes a promise with God to end her rendezvous with her coma-stricken lover, given that he survives. The movie generated mostly positive reviews; Rajeev Masand wrote that "[d]espite its many script problems, it's a consistently watchable film that oozes with feeling and real emotion." On the other hand Kaif's performance attracted a mixed reception; in one review, Rohit Vats published that "Meera's role was a difficult one and Katrina falls short in emotional scenes. It seems Katrina still doesn't feel very easy in front of the camera and has difficulty with complex expressions. But boy she can dance!" Commercially, the film proved a box office hit.

Kaif has finished work on the third installment of the Dhoom franchise, Dhoom 3, which is set for a release in December 2013. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film will see Kaif star as a gymnast alongside Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra.She is currently filming for Siddharth Anand's action comedy Bang Bang, opposite Hrithik Roshan. Kaif has recently signed three films—Anurag Basu's comedy-mystery film Jagga Jasoos, in which she will feature alongside Ranbir Kapoor; as well as Kabir Khan's post 26/11 counter-terrorism drama Phantom with Saif Ali Khan and Abhishek Kapoor's adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations entitled Fitoor, opposite Aditya Roy Kapur.