When Raj Kapoor admitted he was ‘never on beautiful terms’ with wife Krishna Raj; she opened up about ‘turmoil’ in their marriage

Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor's marriage went through many ups and downs, and they opened up about it in daughter Ritu Nanda's book.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: September 8, 2024 09:52 PM IST

3 min read

Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor got married when he was 21 and she was 16. (Photo: Express Archives)

Raj Kapoor was only 21 when he got married to Krishna, who was only 16 at the time. The actor-filmmaker was yet to find fame, and was still in the early days of his career. In fact, his studio RK Films, where he made films like Awara, Barsaat, Shree 420, was also formed after he got married. Rumours of infidelity never left the Showman’s side. Nargis, who was his closest collaborator in those early days of RK Films, was rumoured to be in a relationship with him while he was married. He also had an affair with his co-star Vyjayanthimala. While Raj never left his wife, he also confessed that they weren’t on best terms, while admitting that he was not a ‘good family man’.

In the book Raj Kapoor – The One and Only Showman, written by his daughter Ritu Nanda, Raj said, “Though sometimes we don’t get along very well-we have never been on beautiful terms ever for that matter —we have always been together. And the credit is hers and not mine. I can assure you that she is a very kind and tolerant woman. And she has been a great daughter-in-law to my parents, cared for and looked after them.”

Krishna was also “jealous” of all the female attention that Raj would get from his fans and his heroines. She is quoted in the book as saying, “Although he always treated me like a queen, I was very jealous when his fans and girls chased him. All this was too much for me to handle then.” She also accepted that there was “turmoil” in their marriage and there were days when they didn’t talk to each other. “There was turmoil in our marriage but, at the end of the day, we both realised that we could neither live with each other nor without each other. Today, I realise that a celebrity’s life is like an open book. I regret the days when we didn’t talk with each other. I suppose that is what is called maturity.”

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Raj was apologetic for his hurting his wife but believed that it was because of his work that he was “emotionally” involved with other people. “When I sit back at the end of the day, I feel very sorry for all the pain that I have given you. How can I bring those days back for you? But show business is such that a woman has to be understanding because there are constant emotional involvements, because the work is such. A lesser woman would have deserted me long ago. It is Krishna who has made my home. Unhone mera ghar banaya, basaya, sajaya aur sanwara (she made my home, inhabited it, adorned it, and cared for it),” he said.

Raj and Krishna were married for 42 years until his death in 1988 at age 63. Krishna passed away in 2018 at 87,

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