celebrity words: April 2009

Kaif was born in Hong Kong[2] to a Muslim Kashmiri father,[3] Mohammed Kaif, and a British mother, Suzzane Turquotte.[4]. Her parents separated when Kaif was very young. Kaif has seven siblings. She was raised in Hawaii, United States and later moved to her mother's home country, England.
Career

At the age of fourteen she was approached by an agent and she began modeling; her first job was for a jewelry campaign. She continued modeling in London, under a contract with the Models 1 Agency and did campaigns for houses, such as La Senza and Arcadius and even walked on the London Fashion Week.[2]

Kaif's London modeling-work led her to discover by London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who gave her a part in his film Boom (2003). She moved to Mumbai and was offered a number of modeling assignments. However, filmmakers were initially hesitant to sign her because she could not speak Hindi.[5]

Kaif saw success with the 2005 film Sarkar where she played the bit part of Abhishek Bachchan's girlfriend. Her next release, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005), where she was paired opposite Salman Khan, earned her the Stardust Breakthrough Performance Award.

In 2007, Kaif appeared in the hit movie Namastey London, wherein she starred as a British-Indian girl alongside Akshay Kumar for the second time after the box office dud Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006). Her hit films stride continued with Apne, Partner and Welcome.[6]

In 2008, she played a negative role for the first time in Abbas-Mustan's hit action thriller Race. She played the role of Saif Ali Khan's secretary who is secretly in love with his hostile stepbrother played by Akshay Khanna. Kaif's second release of the year was Anees Bazmee's production Singh Is Kinng, opposite Akshay Kumar. Upon release the film was a big success at the box office. Kaif's final release of the year, Subhash Ghai's Yuvvraaj, was a commercial failure[7], but its script has made its way into the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for artistic merits, original screenplay with a substance and the film as a whole.[8][9]

Kaif's first release for 2009, New York, with John Abraham was a critical and commercial success.[10] Kaif's performance was highly appreciated with the critic Taran Adarsh writing, "Katrina gives you the biggest surprise. Known for her glamour roles, Katrina proves that she can deliver if the director and writer offer her a role of substance. She's outstanding. In fact, people will see a new, different Katrina this time."[11] She next appeared in a bit role as a biker chick in the multi starrer action film Blue, popularly known as India's first underwater thriller,[12] performed averagely at the box office.[13] At the year's end, she appeared in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir Kapoor and De Dana Dan with Akshay Kumar. Both films were commercial successes.

In the year 2010, she is set to appear in the multi starrer film Raajneeti that opens on 4 June 2010.[14] She is currently filming for Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan along with Akshay Kumar, which is set to release on 24 December 2010.[15]
Awards

Nominated

* 2005: Zee Cine Award for Most Promising Debut, Sarkar
* 2008: IIFA Award for Best Actress, Race
* 2009: Apsara Award for Best Actress In Supporting Role, Race
* 2009: IIFA Award for Best Actress, Singh Is Kinng
* 2009: Stardust Award for Star Of The Year, Singh Is Kinng
* 2009: Stardust Award for Best Actress In A Negative Role, Race
* 2010: Screen Award for Best Actor In Popular Category, New York
* 2010: Stardust Star of the Year Award – Female for New York & Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani [1]
* 2010: Filmfare Best Actress Award for New York[16]

Winner

* 2006: Stardust Breakthrough Performance Award (Female), Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya
* 2006: Idea Zee F Awards, Fashion Diva of the Year [2]
* 2008: Zee Cine Awards, British Indian Actor Award
* 2008: IIFA Awards, Style Diva of the Year
* 2008: Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards, Sabsey Favourite Heroine, Singh Is Kinng
* 2008: Apsara Film Producers Guild of India Awards, Style Diva of the Year
* 2009: Rajiv Gandhi Award[17]
* 2009: Golden Kela Awards, Dara Singh Award for the Worst Accent
* 2009: Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards, Sabsey Favourite Heroine[3]
* 2009: ASSOCHAM Award, Performing Excellence[4]
* 2010: Star Screen Awards, Entertainer of the year [5]
* 2010: Stardust Awards, Best Actress - Popular Award for New York & Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani [6]

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
2003 Boom Rina Kaif/Popdi Chinchpokli
2004 Malliswari Princess Malliswari Telugu film
2005 Sarkar Pooja
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya Sonia
Allari Pidugu Shwetha Telugu film
2006 Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye Jia A. Yashvardhan
Balram vs. Taradas Supriya Malayalam film
2007 Namastey London Jasmeet Malhotra (Jazz)
Apne Nandini
Partner Priya Jaisingh
Welcome Sanjana Shetty
2008 Race Sophia
Singh Is Kinng Sonia
Hello The Storyteller/God Cameo
Yuvvraaj Anushka Banton
2009 New York Maya Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Blue Nikki Cameo
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Jennifer (Jenny)
De Dana Dan Anjali Kakkad
2010 Raajneeti Indu Pratap[18] Post-production
Tees Maar Khan Filming[19]
Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara Pre-production[20]
2011
Untitled Anurag Basu Project Pre-production[21]
Aarakshan Pre-production[22]