During the initial years of her career in Hindi showbiz, Katrina was often criticised for her acting chops and her heavy British accent. But over the years, she has come into her own, proving that she can act, dance and do it well.
Katrina is currently being lauded for her role as Kumud Raina in "Bharat".
Trade analyst Komal Nahta told : "Katrina is extraordinary. Her hard work on improving her accent is clearly visible in 'Bharat'. While protraying the old age scenes in the film, she has maintained her pace as well as accent. She is looking like she has never been seen before. In 'Bharat', she is beyond imagination."
According to industry expert Vinod Mirani, the 35-year-old actress has outshined the film's "poor plot".
"There is nothing much in the movie. People are not liking Salman's acting. Only Katrina along with Sunil Grover have managed to shine in the movie. Everybody grows, and Katrina is one of them. Her acting in 'Bharat' is clearly depicting that. She carries off her part with all sincerity."
According to Zafar, who had directed the actress in "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" and "Tiger Zinda Hai", Katrina is "blooming" as an actor.
"She has always been a big star, she has always been a big pull for the audience, but now she is just blossoming as an actor. There is a lot of trust that people are showing in her. They are writing roles for her and I think she is performing those roles with lot of confidence and craft," Zafar told .
Katrina has been grateful to fans for their response to "Bharat".
"Thank you for all the love," she wrote on Instagram as the film minted over Rs 42 crore at the box office on the first day of its release.
On her role, Katrina had earlier said: "I had the most incredible time working on this character, the whole journey has been the most exciting for me."
Katrina born of a Kashmiri father and a British mother stepped into Bollywood with the 2005 film "Boom", which was a dud at the box office.
But there came a phase in her career when she delivered back-to-back hits "Namastey London", "Welcome", "Singh is Kinng" and "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani".
But despite the success rate, her accent and acting were commented upon.
Nahta feels Katrina has evolved as an artiste over the years.
He said: "She has shown remarkable improvement. After 'Bharat', I feel she should be offered substantial roles because she has shown she can do roles beyond her comfort zone. She deserves to be lauded.
"Producers and directors should take note that Katrina is more than a 'glamour doll' and take her seriously."
Even netizens are appreciating Katrina a lot for her performance in "Bharat".
One Twitter user tweeted: "Congrats Katrina for once again proving to the whole world that no challenge is too big for you. Let the praise boost your confidence and keep exploring your potential because you truly are capable of amazing things."
Another user wrote: "Katrina is on top form. After such a long time, she is receiving such consistent positive words."
Katrina is now all set to woo the audience with her role opposite Akshay Kumar in Rohit Shetty's upcoming film "Sooryavanshi".
(Simran Sethi can be contacted at simran.s@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )