Khans

More than two decades since she first walked down the corridors of a London university in glittery crop tops, tightly fitted skirts and raw confidence, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Poo still lives on. No, not only in memes or rewatches, but in today’s language, drip and zero regrets energy.

Poo wasn’t just a character, she was a zero filter, all fire personality. Her attitude was built to stand tall, not bow, even before it was cool to have one. Released in 2001, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham introduced Pooja Sharma as the uber glam, no-nonsense, brutally honest younger sister. She, quite literally, stole every scene she was in.

No one can forget that Poo continued the legacy of Y2K glamour. Her iconic one-liners like “Tell me how it was”, “Whatever!”, and “Ugh, minus!”, became instant classics. Social media influencers still take notes from her, for Poo was the OG influencer. She worked towards self-love before it was a popular thought. Her high standards and zero tolerance for mediocrity made her the bad b*tch Doja Cat loves singing about. In fact, her mirror talks were daily affirmations before self-help became mainstream and pop culture worthy.

Even today, her confidence is deduced like she’s the Irene Adler to our Sherlock Holmes. It is also admired and meme-ified on reels. While millennials have been quoting her since time immemorial, Gen Zs have entered the chat with full conviction. She has become a litmus test for personas that never shrink.

But beyond the fashion and the sass, what makes Poo a champion is her complete refusal to tone herself down. She did not care about what is expected out of a traditional Indian woman of the ‘2000s. She didn’t let her be defined as “so demure, so mindful.” In fact, Poo was anything but demure. And rightly so.

She represented a kind of liberated Indian woman, who could be glamorous, demanding, self-assured and still lovable. Kareena made sure Poo was pictured that way and that her powerful personality never had to settle for less.

Fashion cycles have come and gone, but crop tops, velour tracksuits and hair flips à la Poo never really left. Her legacy in fashion is insane. Today, she’s referenced in everything. She is Ananya Panday’s favourite topic when it comes to pop princess aesthetic. She is Alia Bhatt’s go-to friend when it comes to maintaining her “good looks, good looks and good looks.” Newer generations keep meeting her for the first time through digital edits because Poo is timeless. She was never made to fit in.

Two decades on, Poo isn’t just recalled as some early ‘2000s character. She is quoted, worshipped, analysed and idolised.

Also Read: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ananya Panday & More React to Homebound as India’s Oscars 2026 Entry