Premium21 years of Katrina Kaif in movies: Look back at her Bollywood debut in Boom
On the 21st anniversary of Boom, here's a reflection back on how Katrina Kaif emerged from the film's box office failure to become one of Bollywood's biggest stars.
Last Updated: 08.55 AM, Sep 19, 2024
It's been 21 years since Katrina Kaif made her Bollywood debut. Boom, her first foray into Hindi movies was released over two decades ago, and within a few years, she became one of the top actors in the Hindi film industry. Kaizad Gustad directed the 2003 thriller black comedy, and Jackie Shroff's wife, Ayesha Shroff, produced the film. Katrina featured alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Padma Lakshmi, Madhu Sapre, and Zeenat Aman. The film debuted on September 19, 2003, and it delves into the fashion industry's ties to criminal organisations.
Boom plot summary
In Boom, a famous diamond jewellery firm is hosting a fashion show, and three of India's finest models—Anu Gaekwad (Madhu Sapre), Sheila Bardez (Padma Lakshmi), and Rina Kaif (Katrina Kaif)—are there to participate. When another model (perhaps on purpose) trips Anu and sends her tumbling down the ramp walk of the fashion show, every model's biggest fear comes true. The two friends who are always there for Anu, Sheila and Rina, step in to help. The three of them rush over to confront the model who had tripped Anu, and their public dispute quickly turns into a brawl. A huge surprise is waiting for the women as they fight. Both the paparazzi and the famous promptly plucked a dazzling slew of stolen diamonds—hundreds in all—from the model's locks and onto the runway. As chaos ensues during the fashion show, Anu, Rina, and Sheila are taken aback. The gangsters are determined to recover the stolen valuable gems, holding the three stunning models responsible for the botched heist. Chhote Mia (Jackie Shroff) seized the gems before they could be carried to Dubai. After that, his brothers would receive them. A game of cat-and-mouse starts between the three models and the three gangsters when their leader, Bade Mia (Amitabh Bachchan), is hellbent on recovering the gems.
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Tiger Shroff's family struggles after Boom's failure
Box office receipts for Boom were dismal, and its total lifetime earnings were close to Rs. 12 million. Due to a debt of Rs. 180 million to a single investor, film producer Ayesha Shroff and her husband Jackie had to liquidate part of their assets. According to the actor, his marriage took a hit, and he and his wife's relationship was difficult after Boom.
In June 2020, Tiger Shroff's family revealed the effects of Boom's debacle. The actor revealed that they sold off pieces of their belongings one by one. The familiar sights and sounds of their home began to fade away. In the aftermath, his bed disappeared, and he began dozing off while lying on the floor. For the first time in Tiger's life, he felt it.
Katrina Kaif's experience working on Boom
Meanwhile, in an interview with India Today, while talking about making her Bollywood debut with Boom, Katrina said that one thing that struck her about Mumbai, India, was how welcoming the people were. She was at ease; her first intention was not to become an actor but a model. The actor had a lot of luck and rose quickly in the modelling industry. When she was 17 and working on Boom, Katrina had no idea what Hindi was, and she was completely unprepared. She got one piece of advice from Jackie Shroff that she should study the Devnagari script. Following his advice, the actor began receiving all of her scripts in Devnagari.
Katrina explained that her casting in Boom was a last-ditch attempt to replace Meghna Reddy, who had left the film. The actor changed her name to Katrina Kaif because her Indian heritage is more important to her now that she is working in India.
Streaming availability of Boom
Boom is available to stream on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).