Randhir Kapoor joked about asking ‘wealthy daughters’ Kareena Kapoor-Karisma to adopt him after leaving them and wife Babita to fend for themselves: ‘Horrible husband’ | Bollywood News
More than his career, veteran actor Randhir Kapoor has often remained in the news for his personal life. Coming from the Kapoor family, Randhir got an easy entry into the Hindi film industry and also gained popularity for his romantic roles. He starred in hits like Haath Ki Safai (1974), Chacha Bhatija (1977), Rampur Ka Lakshman (1972) and Jawani Diwani (1972). However, the actor soon got typecast in similar roles and also avoided experimenting, leading to audiences gradually losing interest in him. Meanwhile, his younger brother Rishi Kapoor made his debut in 1973 and became an instant heartthrob, eventually overshadowing his elder brother.
The professional setback filtered down to Randhir’s personal life and he began drinking heavily. Time and again, he has spoken about his ‘not-so-perfect’ marriage with Babita Kapoor and how he was a ‘horrible father’ to his daughters and actresses Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. Let’s take a look at the same.
Randhir was doing ‘time pass’ before Raj Kapoor made him marry Babita
Randhir met Babita on the sets of his father Raj Kapoor’s film Sangam and fell head over heels for her. However, he initially had no intention of marrying her. In an old interaction on The Kapil Sharma Show, Randhir had even admitted that it was his father who pushed him to marry Babita. “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). He jab woh buddhi ho jayegi shaadi karega usse (Will you marry her when she gets old)?”
‘Was a terrible man who drank a lot’
Randhir and Babita tied the knot in 1971. Babita was a known actress at the time, but she had to quit her acting career as women in the Kapoor family were not allowed to work in films then. The marriage suffered after Randhir’s career started dwindling in the 1980s and he was declared a ‘flop actor’. By this time, both their daughters had been born. Randhir started drinking heavily and eventually moved out in 1988 to live with his parents, leaving Babita to raise their daughters, who were 14 and 8 years old at the time.
In an old interview with Hindustan Times, Randhir had admitted to drinking heavily and arriving late at home, which led to his separation from his wife. “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.”
Talking to Bhawna Somaiya on a radio channel, calling himself a “bad father”, Randhir then said he’s been somewhat “bawla” (mad) and didn’t take his work too seriously, especially after he started aging. “That way I have been a very bad father but then main bawla hoon, everyone knows I am a bit mad. I don’t want to work very hard, I don’t want to work in many pictures, offers still come, I don’t (take them up). I have earned in my life, now my kids earn much more than me, so I am content, we have food and clothes and home, we have everything, so what more do I want, why should I run around morning to night at this age?,” he concluded.
Randhir Kapoor with Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor and Babita Kapoor. (Source: Express Photo)
‘Mom did small businesses to survive as a single parent’
After Randhir left Babita and their daughters to fend for themselves, Babita started several businesses, including real estate, to bring up her daughters. In an old interview with Mumbai Mirror in 2007, Kareena said, “Mom was always doing something, she single-handedly brought us up. She has a real estate business apart from other small businesses. It was tough.” The actress admitted that while Randhir was an important factor in their life, they were largely left alone to fend for themselves.
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In another interview, Kareena spoke about how her mother struggled to give them a good life and that they were not brought up in luxury. For the unversed, Karisma was just 17 years old when she made her acting debut and helped her mother financially, while also ensuring the best for her younger sister.
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Mom and Karisma struggled to give me better life: Kareena
Kareena recalled the contributions made by both her mother and elder sister and said in an old interview, “We weren’t brought up in luxury, as people think about the Kapoor clan. My mom and sister really struggled to give me a better life. Especially my mom, because she was a single parent. Everything was very limited for us.”
Both Kareena and Karisma were brought up far away from the luxury life of the Kapoor clan. While Karisma used to travel to college by local trains, Kareena took the school bus. Kareena had shared how they had just one car and no money to hire a driver. “It’s only because mom brought us up like this that we value everything we have today. The bad days we have seen have made us very strong and fragile at the same time. And the experiences have made me a very intense person,” she added.
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‘I ask my rich daughters to adopt me’
Though Randhir was initially unsupportive and against Karisma joining films, he eventually came around and even admitted that his daughters are now wealthier than he ever was. While Karisma became the top actress during the 90s and early 2000s, Kareena remains one of the biggest names in Bollywood.
“Babita never got married again and nor does she intend to, neither do I. She continues to be my wife and I continue to be her incorrigible, horrible husband,” Randhir had told Mumbai Mirror. Talking about the success of his daughters, he said, “My children are settled. In fact, both my daughters are wealthier than I am and I keep asking them to adopt me as their father, so that I can also be rich. I still meet Babita for dinner sometimes, we eat and laugh. That is the way we are.”
