Late actor Rishi Kapoor and actor Neetu Kapoor were one of the most loved couples. The couple married in 1980, when Rishi was 28 and Neetu was just 22. Although both were at the peak of their careers at that time, Neetu moved away from films after marriage to focus on family life.
They remained together for four decades until Rishi’s death in 2020.In a recent interview, Neetu spoke about the dynamics of their marriage, revealing that despite her generally calm nature, Rishi was the one person with whom she constantly fought. “I was just fighting with my husband. My husband and I were fighting for months,” she said in an interview with Soha Ali Khan on her podcast where she appeared with her daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni.
He watches
Throwback: When Neetu Kapoor defended Ranbir cheating on Deepika
Describing Rishi as “strong-minded”, Neetu said that their arguments would often devolve into long periods of silence as he would not easily listen to her point of view. As a result, she would resort to giving him the cold shoulder until he finally started the conversation. “I used to have this Cold War, and the Cold War could last a month or six months. And I didn’t even stoop to the time when he didn’t ask me, ‘What’s your problem?’ “And he would,” she recalled with a smile.
Neetu added that during those stages, Rishi was communicating with his children, the actor
Ranbir Kapoor
And Riddhima Kapoor Sahni to understand her mood and what bothers her.And then he says “Asha bata yaar, kya hai?” What is your problem? Let’s work it out.’ I would say, now that you’ve come to me, now, listen to me. ‘Because otherwise he won’t listen,’ she said.She also remembered how her mother-in-law would joke about her long periods of silence.
“So when I tell people I’ve been married for 30 or 40 years, my mother-in-law says, ‘You’ve only been married for 20 years because you haven’t spoken in 10 years,'” she said.Neetu also revealed that after each reconciliation, she will encourage Rishi to follow a healthier lifestyle, including diet and exercise, and he will comply for a short period before reverting to old habits. “He was doing everything because he wanted to be the good boy because he had just reconciled after 6 months.
“But again, he will go back to his old ways,” she added, adding that the older generation of the Kapoor family never believed in fitness routines or dieting.Reflecting on their relationship, Neetu said that she met Rishi when she was just 14 or 15 years old and grew up alongside him. She admitted that she felt afraid of him because he introduced her to a world she had never experienced before.“I got involved with him when I was 14-15, so I kind of grew up with him. He took me out and showed me the world. He would take me to discos. He taught me how to drink wine and everything. I didn’t see the world. I was probably too afraid of him and I would always try to make him happy,” she said.Neetu also revealed how emotionally invested she is in Rishi’s career. Whenever one of his films underperforms, she prays, fasts and visits religious places hoping for its success because she cannot bear to see him upset.“When his films did not work, I used to do all these fasts, go to temples, temples and churches. I don’t know how many novenas I had to do in my life for his film to succeed. I could not see him upset and unhappy. That was my life and it was a very innocent life. Today, when I look back, I see that I was truly innocent. I lived life the way it came,” she said.Neetu Kapoor reveals that she started drinking alcohol after Rishi Kapoor’s death and then had to go to work. She responded to the trolling: “I couldn’t sleep.”Speaking about the changing relationships in the modern era, Neetu observed that the institution of marriage is gradually declining due to changing social dynamics and financial independence.
“You don’t have to be married to have children,” she said, adding, “So the institution of marriage is declining.” She also noted that people being financially independent is changing the nature of relationships today. During the conversation, Neetu explained that she always encourages her daughter Riddhima to work and rejected the long-standing perception that Rishi Kapoor stopped her from pursuing films.“I always encouraged Riddhima but she chose her life. It was not like my husband told her: ‘Don’t work in films.’
This is what she chose. Today, it wants to work, it works. She explained that she wanted to devote her time to her husband and daughter, and this was her priority.Neetu also spoke about Rishi Kapoor’s parenting style and revealed that he deliberately maintains a certain distance from his children because he believes a father should be respected and feared.“My husband wanted to keep the phrase ‘I am the father, don’t come too close to me, keep that distance’. So he was never friendly with Ranbir or Riddhima because they must have some fear,” she said.Recalling how the children reacted to Rishi’s presence in the house, she added, “They were afraid. There was this kind of fear. He wanted it.”