Kareena Kapoor never shied away from taking the road less travelled: Her 5 most unconventional roles

As she gears up for the release of her digital debut Jaane Jaan, here is a look at films that feature Kareena Kapoor in offbeat roles: Kareena Kapoor Khan is the quintessential Bollywood heroine who rules hearts with her style. A majority of her films feature her as characters that also flaunt a similar lifestyle. However, Kareena has proved her mettle with various experimental roles that she indeed is a beauty with ample talent. She is not just a mannequin adding glamour to a film, but she also has the acting skills to embelish any project that she becomes a part of.

Kareena will soon be seen as a single mom in the Netflix original Jaane Jaan which also stars Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Jaane Jaan is an adaptation of Keigo Higashino's 2005 Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X. As she gears up for the release of her digital debut, here is a look at films that feature Kareena in offbeat roles:

Chameli

Kareena's first experimental role came when she essayed the role of a prostitute in Sudhir Mishra's 2004 film Chameli. The film also features Rahul Bose and Rinke Khanna. Known for her glamour and grace, Kareena smoothly transformed into a street-smart prostitute with all the confidence, and brazenness required for the role. Kareena's performance in the film received wide critical acclaim. She even bagged the Special Jury Award at Stardust, and Special Jury Filmfare Award for her performance.

Omkara

Kareena was next seen in a de-glam role in Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Othello, Omkara. She featured opposite Ajay Devgn in the film which also starred Konkona Sen Sharma, Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, and Vivek Oberoi. Once again, Kareena's performance in the 2006 film attracted wide critical appreciation. She also bagged the Stardust Performer of The Year award, the Critics' award for Best Actress at Filmfare, and the Screen Best Actress Award that year.

Kareena plays the demure, loyal and misunderstood version of Shakespeare's Desdemona. Her final scene, as she begs her husband for death rather than her loyalty be questioned is still one of her best performances of all time. Watch it here:

Heroine

When Madhur Bhandarkar made a film on the way the film industry works, he chose Kareena to lead the narrative. She essayed the role of an actor whose success and fame were on a downhill journey even as she grappled with various issues in her personal life. Arjun Rampal and Randeep Hooda also starred in the film along with Shahana Goswami, Divya Dutta, Raqesh Bapat, Shilpi Sharma, Helen, Lillete Dubey, and Mugdha Godse. While the film received mixed responses from critics as well as the audiences, most critics labelled Kareena's performance as her career best.

Talaash

Aamir Khan worked with Kareena for the second time in Reena Kagti's Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, after Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots. Reema co-wrote the film with Zoya Akhtar. The film also featured Rajkummar Rao, Rani Mukerji, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. She also bagged the Stardust Performer of the Year for the film.

Kareena played an escort with a dark secret in Talaash. She has to be enigmatic, mysterious and still be able to draw empathy out of viewers. As Simran, she does all of that.

Udta Punjab

Kareena played the role of a young doctor in Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab. She featured in the film opposite Diljit Dosanjh and won hearts with her act of a simple woman trying her best to save her home state from the drug menace. The film also stars Alia Bhatt, Diljit Dosanjh, and Shahid Kapoor.