Kareena Kapoor Khan Reflects on 25 Years in Bollywood: A Journey Through 'Refugee'

Celebrating a Milestone in Bollywood

On Monday, Kareena Kapoor Khan marked a significant milestone, celebrating 25 years in the Hindi film industry. The actress took to social media to reminisce about her debut film, Refugee, sharing heartfelt memories.

In her Instagram post, Kareena shared several nostalgic images from Refugee, captioning it, "25 years and forever to go ..." The post included both solo shots of her and moments with her co-star, Abhishek Bachchan. She also tagged notable figures such as director JP Dutta, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, and Anupam Kher.

Refugee, released in 2000, was a romantic drama that marked the acting debuts of both Kareena and Abhishek. The film, which became the fifth highest-grossing film of its release year, tells the story of an unnamed Indian Muslim who assists illegal refugees from India, Pakistan, and present-day Bangladesh in crossing the border through the vast Great Rann of Kutch. It is believed to be inspired by Keki N Daruwalla’s short story, "Love Across the Salt Desert."

Reflecting on his own 25-year journey in the industry, Abhishek Bachchan expressed a desire to focus on the future rather than dwell on the past. He shared his thoughts with a media outlet, stating, "I want to look forward. I want to think about the next 25 years—what I’m going to do next. That’s done now." Drawing inspiration from his father, Amitabh Bachchan, who has had a remarkable five-decade career, Abhishek emphasized the importance of continuous growth.

He added, "Take your experience and learnings from the last 25 years and use them to make yourself better." When asked about the possibility of re-releasing Refugee in theaters, Abhishek mentioned that the decision lies with director JP Dutta, indicating that it would depend on whether the film still resonates with today's audience.