Off-screen, Kareena Kapoor Khan is generally known for the so-called fluff stuff – her fabulous fashion sense, her great love for gossip, you get the drift… But the lady will soon dislodge any misconceptions of being a social lightweight…

The actress is poised to inaugurate the 10th edition of the 2018 Bengaluru International Film Festival with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today. What’s more, she will be giving an opening speech on ‘Human Rights and Social Justice’, which is the theme of the festival this year.

Bebo, as she is fondly called, will also interact with filmmakers over a luncheon. The BIFF will screen nearly 200 films from 50 countries and will run from February 22 to March 1 across Bangalore and Mysore.

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The festival organizers’ decision to have Kareena grace the occasion could stem from her appearance at the International Children’s Film Festival in Hyderabad in 2015. At this event, she had won loads more fans in high places who were most impressed by the way she had broken into an impromptu dance performance with the kids.

We predict the crowds who surge in to watch Bebo will be huge. In a bid to ensure that actors from tinsel town and artists from various federations take part in large numbers at the festival, a holiday had apparently been announced on the inaugural and concluding days of the festival.

We also predict Bebo will make a pertinent and moving speech. The topic might seem a tad highbrow, but the lady is actually well-read and well-informed enough to handle it with ease. She has come a long way from the time she couldn’t bear the sight of a book, for instance. The passing years and marriage to the erudite Saif Ali Khan have triggered a deeper interest in current affairs.

In an earlier interview, Kareena had proudly declared, “Saif has got me to read. I think it is a good habit.” Apparently, she has become so fond of reading that she can be found with books whenever she has free time. You go, Bebo!