3 min readNew DelhiJun 16, 2026 09:02 PM IST
More than two decades after Dil To Pagal Hai became a Bollywood classic, Karisma Kapoor has opened up about the role that changed perceptions of what a leading lady could be on screen. Looking back at her portrayal of Nisha, the actor revealed that several actresses were hesitant to take up the part because it required sharing screen space and a dance face-off with Madhuri Dixit.
In a conversation with India Today, Karisma recalled how the role came with its own set of challenges at a time when conventional heroine characters dominated Hindi cinema.
“When Dil To Pagal Hai was being made, no actress wanted to do the role opposite Madhuri. Nobody wanted to dance with her and compete with her in a dance face-off,” she recalled.
Why Dil To Pagal Hai’s Nisha stood out in Bollywood
Karisma Kapoor said Nisha was unlike the typical female leads audiences were used to seeing in films of that era. According to her, the character helped challenge long-standing Bollywood stereotypes.
“I think cinema changed with Nisha’s character. She was a heroine, but not the conventional one. She was the one with whom the hero did not love. He was rejecting her, and the audience could actually see her pain,” she said.
The actor explained that it was this emotional complexity that drew her to the role and made the character unforgettable.
“I found that very different and very challenging. Even today, I get goosebumps thinking about it because, normally, the hero is supposed to love the heroine. Here was a girl wondering, ‘Why is this happening to me? I love this guy so much.’ That emotional journey was something very special,” she shared.
Story continues below this ad
ALSO READ: Farah Khan says Akshay Kumar flew to Tees Maar Khan set daily by helicopter: ‘Paise kha gaya’
‘I’ve always believed in my own pace,’ says Karisma Kapoor
More than three decades into her acting career, Karisma Kapoor says she has never followed a fixed blueprint for success. Instead, she prefers embracing different phases of life and work as they come.
“I think it’s important for us to keep growing as actors. At the same time, I’ve always believed in my own lane and pace. Sometimes I don’t work for a long period, and sometimes I’m extremely busy. I enjoy those waves of life—the highs and the lows, the ups and downs,” she said.
Currently seen in Brown, the actor described this stage of her career as an exciting one and said she relies more on instinct than planning when choosing projects.
Story continues below this ad
“I don’t overthink things, and I definitely don’t take myself too seriously. That’s something that has always stayed with me,” she said.
Karisma added that she has never been driven by calculations around success or long-term career strategies.
“I’ve never been the kind of person to think, ‘My film is a blockbuster, what’s my next strategy?’ There has never been a strategy. I’ve always tried to enjoy the moment and then focus on how I can better myself and what I can do next.”
