Veteran actress Neetu Kapoor recently reflected on her decades-long relationship and marriage with late actor Rishi Kapoor, sharing emotional memories of how deeply her life revolved around him. Speaking on Soha Ali Khan’s podcast All About Her, Neetu Kapoor discussed her early bond with Rishi Kapoor, their marriage, personal struggles, and changing perspectives on relationships as reported by NDTV.
According to NDTV, Neetu Kapoor revealed that she became close to Rishi Kapoor at a very young age and practically grew up alongside him. The actress recalled how he introduced her to a completely different world during her teenage years.
"I got involved with him when I was 14-15, so I kind of grew up with him. He took me out; he showed me the world. He would take me to discotheques. He taught me how to have wine and all. I had not seen the world. Maybe I was very intimidated by him and I would always try to make him happy," Neetu Kapoor shared during the conversation.
She further revealed how emotionally invested she was in Rishi Kapoor’s professional success and how his disappointments deeply affected her personally. According to NDTV, Neetu Kapoor admitted that she would often pray and observe fasts whenever his films failed at the box office.
"When his films didn't work, I would do all these fasts, go to temples, gurudwaras and churches. I don't know how many novenas I must have done in my life so his films would work. I couldn't see him upset or unhappy. That was my life and it was a very innocent life. Today, when I look back, I see that I was really innocent. I just went through life the way it came," she said.
During the podcast, Neetu Kapoor also shared her views on why the institution of marriage appears to be declining in modern times. As reported by NDTV, the actress pointed to changing lifestyles, independence, and shifting social priorities as major reasons behind the transformation.
"You don't need to be married to have kids. So, the institution of marriage is going down," she remarked.
She further added that financial independence has also changed the way people approach relationships and marriage in today’s generation.
Apart from discussing marriage, Neetu Kapoor candidly opened up about the frequent disagreements she had with Rishi Kapoor during their married life. She admitted that their arguments often lasted for long periods because she sometimes struggled to express herself openly while Rishi Kapoor would refuse to listen initially.
"I used to go on this cold war and the cold war could go on for a month, six months. I would not bend till the time he didn't ask me, 'What's your problem?' And he would do that," she shared.
Neetu Kapoor further explained how their conflicts would eventually resolve after Rishi Kapoor initiated the conversation.
"And then he would say 'Acha bata yaar, kya hai? What's your problem? Let's sort it out.' I would say, now that you have come to me, now, you listen to me. Because otherwise, he would just not listen."
The actress also revealed that when he failed to understand why she was upset, Rishi Kapoor would often contact their children — Ranbir Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni — to figure out what had gone wrong.
Recalling a humorous memory involving her mother-in-law, Neetu Kapoor said, "So when I would tell people that I have been married for 30 or 40 years, my mother-in-law would say, 'You are only married for 20 years because you haven't spoken for 10 years'."
Neetu Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor worked together in 11 films before she eventually stepped away from acting to focus on family life. The couple got married in January 1980 at RK Studios in Chembur, Mumbai.
Following Rishi Kapoor’s death due to leukaemia in 2020, Neetu Kapoor faced an emotionally difficult phase in life. According to NDTV, she revealed during the same podcast that she sought therapy, struggled emotionally, and even turned to alcohol at one point before gradually finding strength again through work and personal healing.
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