Randhir Kapoor fell in love with Babita Kapoor on the sets of Sangam (1964), directed by Raj Kapoor. They dated for two long years before Randhir Kapoor realised that he wasn’t too serious, and Babita Kapoor was losing her patience.
When Babita Kapoor asked for an ultimatum from Randhir Kapoor, he cast her in his directorial debut Kal, Aaj Aur Kal (1971), where all three generations of Kapoors came together—Randhir, father Raj and grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor.
Randhir Kapoor said in a previous interaction, as quoted on The Indian Express, that his father Raj Kapoor was aware of his relationship with Babita Kapoor. It was then that Raj Kapoor took matters into his own hands.
Randhir Kapoor shared, “Main timepass kiye jaa raha tha. He was like, ‘Shaadi vaadi karne ka iraada hai ki nahi?’ (I was whiling away time. My father asked if I had any intention of getting married).”
Randhir had earlier mentioned this on Kapil’s show, “Jab woh buddhi ho jayegi shaadi karega usse (Will you marry her when she gets old)?”
Randhir Kapoor added that it was his parents who proposed to Babita and not him. Babita was also expected to quit her film career, as Kapoor women were not allowed to work post-marriage at that time.
Randhir Kapoor and Babita Kapoor got married in a small ceremony at Babita’s residence on May 12, 1971. And on November 6, 1971, Randhir and Babita got married in a Punjabi wedding at the Kapoor residence.
However in 1988, Randhir Kapoor returned to his parent’s residence, but the two never formally got divorced.
Randhir Kapoor told Hindustan Times, “She found that I was a terrible man who drank a lot and came home late, which was something she didn’t like. And I didn’t want to live the way she wanted, and she couldn’t accept me as I was, though it was a love marriage. So it’s okay. We had two lovely children to look after. She brought them up in the best way and they have excelled in their career. What else could I have asked for as a father?”
Randhir Kapoor and Babita Kapoor are proud parents to Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor.
