Kapoor followed her success in Bodyguard and Ra.
One with a role in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) opposite Imran Khan.
Set in Las Vegas, the romantic comedy follows the story of two strangers who get married one night after getting drunk.
She played Riana Braganza, a carefree young woman, and was particularly drawn to the qualities of her character: "Riana knows what she is doing.
Even though she does not have a house or a job, she is a positive person [...] very similar to the way I am."
The film received positive reviews and was an economic success, grossing a total of ₹530 million (US$7.4 million) in India and abroad.
The Hollywood Reporter found her "endearingly natural"; Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com asserted that "after doing ornamental roles in films like Bodyguard and Ra.
One, it is nice to see the spunky actress in her element again since Jab We Met."
She next appeared in Agent Vinod, an espionage thriller directed by Sriram Raghavan.
Kapoor was enthusiastic about the project, but it met with a tepid response and she was described as miscast.
When asked why she had taken the role, Kapoor described it as an opportunity to attempt something she had never done before.

For her next feature, Kapoor was cast as a fading movie star in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, a drama revolving around the Bollywood film industry.
She was initially skeptical about taking on the part as she felt that her character's personality was far removed from her own and worried about how people would perceive her.
After her replacement (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) left the film due to her pregnancy, Kapoor was  reapproached for the film, and she agreed after Bhandarkar enforced his faith in her.
Although not a method actor, Kapoor believed that the intense role had left her on edge in her personal life and refrained from taking on any other projects.
Reviewers found the film to be "drably monotonous", but noted that it was watchable primarily due to Kapoor's performance.
Rajeev Masand described it as "a deliciously camp performance," played "with utmost sincerity".
Bollywood Hungama opined that it was her best work to date and concluded that "[t]hough her character is inconsistent [...] Kareena furnishes the heroine's character with a rare vulnerability and an exceptional inner life."
At the annual Stardust Awards, Kapoor garnered the Editor's Choice for Best Actress, and received additional nominations at Filmfare, IIFA, Producers Guild, Screen and Stardust.

On 16 October 2012, Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan in a private ceremony in Bandra, Mumbai, and she gave birth to their son, Taimur, in 2016.
Kapoor stated that despite adding Khan to her name she would continue practising Hinduism after marriage.
Reema Kagti's psychological thriller, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, in which she played the "tantalisingly seductive prostitute" Rosie, was Kapoor's final release of 2012.
Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji, the film is set against the backdrop of Mumbai's red-light districts and follows the travails of a police officer (Khan) who is assigned the duty of solving a mysterious car accident.
Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph found Kapoor to be a standout among the ensemble, adding that "she brings an unseen mix of oomph and emotion that becomes the [film's] centrepiece".
With global revenues of ₹1.74 billion (US$24 million), the film emerged as a box office hit, and earned Kapoor Best Actress nominations at the Screen, Stardust and Zee Cine award ceremonies.

In 2013, Kapoor collaborated with Ajay Devgn for the fourth time (alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao) in Prakash Jha's Satyagraha, an ensemble socio-political drama loosely inspired by social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption in 2011.
The film received little praise from critics and underperformed at the box office earning ₹675 million (US$9.5 million) domestically.
A review in the Daily News and Analysis noted that Kapoor's role as reporter Yasmin Ahmed was "limited to mouthing a few 'important' dialogu
Kapoor followed her success in Bodyguard and Ra.One with a role in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) opposite Imran Khan. Set in Las Vegas, the romantic comedy follows the story of two strangers who get married one night after getting drunk. She played Riana Braganza, a carefree young woman, and was particularly drawn to the qualities of her character: "Riana knows what she is doing. Even though she does not have a house or a job, she is a positive person [...] very similar to the way I am." The film received positive reviews and was an economic success, grossing a total of ₹530 million (US$7.4 million) in India and abroad. The Hollywood Reporter found her "endearingly natural"; Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com asserted that "after doing ornamental roles in films like Bodyguard and Ra.One, it is nice to see the spunky actress in her element again since Jab We Met." She next appeared in Agent Vinod, an espionage thriller directed by Sriram Raghavan. Kapoor was enthusiastic about the project, but it met with a tepid response and she was described as miscast. When asked why she had taken the role, Kapoor described it as an opportunity to attempt something she had never done before.
For her next feature, Kapoor was cast as a fading movie star in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, a drama revolving around the Bollywood film industry. She was initially skeptical about taking on the part as she felt that her character's personality was far removed from her own and worried about how people would perceive her. After her replacement (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) left the film due to her pregnancy, Kapoor was  reapproached for the film, and she agreed after Bhandarkar enforced his faith in her. Although not a method actor, Kapoor believed that the intense role had left her on edge in her personal life and refrained from taking on any other projects. Reviewers found the film to be "drably monotonous", but noted that it was watchable primarily due to Kapoor's performance. Rajeev Masand described it as "a deliciously camp performance," played "with utmost sincerity". Bollywood Hungama opined that it was her best work to date and concluded that "[t]hough her character is inconsistent [...] Kareena furnishes the heroine's character with a rare vulnerability and an exceptional inner life." At the annual Stardust Awards, Kapoor garnered the Editor's Choice for Best Actress, and received additional nominations at Filmfare, IIFA, Producers Guild, Screen and Stardust.
On 16 October 2012, Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan in a private ceremony in Bandra, Mumbai, and she gave birth to their son, Taimur, in 2016. Kapoor stated that despite adding Khan to her name she would continue practising Hinduism after marriage. Reema Kagti's psychological thriller, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, in which she played the "tantalisingly seductive prostitute" Rosie, was Kapoor's final release of 2012. Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji, the film is set against the backdrop of Mumbai's red-light districts and follows the travails of a police officer (Khan) who is assigned the duty of solving a mysterious car accident. Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph found Kapoor to be a standout among the ensemble, adding that "she brings an unseen mix of oomph and emotion that becomes the [film's] centrepiece". With global revenues of ₹1.74 billion (US$24 million), the film emerged as a box office hit, and earned Kapoor Best Actress nominations at the Screen, Stardust and Zee Cine award ceremonies.
In 2013, Kapoor collaborated with Ajay Devgn for the fourth time (alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao) in Prakash Jha's Satyagraha, an ensemble socio-political drama loosely inspired by social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption in 2011. The film received little praise from critics and underperformed at the box office earning ₹675 million (US$9.5 million) domestically. A review in the Daily News and Analysis noted that Kapoor's role as reporter Yasmin Ahmed was "limited to mouthing a few 'important' dialogu
Kareena Kapoor