Kareena Kapoor has also explored love stories in more unconventional films like "Chameli" (2003), where she played a prostitute who forms an unlikely connection with a wealthy investment banker, and "Aitraaz" (2004), a romantic thriller where she played a lawyer defending her husband in a sexual harassment case. Films like "Dev" (2004) and "Talaash" (2012) showcased her ability to bring emotional complexity to love stories set against political or suspenseful backdrops. In "Ki and Ka" (2016), she challenged gender stereotypes in a modern love story about role reversal, sharing intimate moments with co-star Arjun Kapoor.

Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met fundamentally changed the presentation of romance in Hindi cinema. As Geet Dhillon, Kapoor portrayed a fiercely independent, talkative woman whose outlook on love alters the life of a depressed businessman.

This intense romantic thriller, co-starring Saif Ali Khan, dealt with themes of love, ideology, and terrorism. The film featured a prolonged love-making sequence between the real-life couple that became a major talking point at the time. While Kareena insisted she would have done the same with any co-star, the intimate scenes she shared with Saif in "Kurbaan" were some of the most passionate of her career and remain unforgettable.