When Rishi Kapoor described father Raj Kapoor’s affair with Nargis as ‘a part of history’: ‘Not ashamed of this chapter in our lives’

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He continued, “We are not ashamed of this chapter in our lives. Both families are cordial with each other. But it happened. It’s history, and we respect that. It’s a part of history.” In his book, Rishi Kapoor had written that his mother put her foot down when Raj Kapoor became involved with Vyjayanthimala, because she’d already dealt with his affair with Nargis. “I was very young when my father had an affair with Nargis Ji, and so was not affected by it. I don’t remember feeling anything was amiss at home either. But I do remember moving into the Natraj Hotel on Marine Drive with my mom during the time Papa was involved with Vyjayanthimala,” he had written.

Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Bina Rai and Premnath. (Photo: Express Archive).

Raj Kapoor himself addressed these rumours in a documentary about his life made by Prasar Bharti. He said that neither Nargis nor his wife, Krishna, ‘felt cheated’ because both knew that they weren’t playing ‘second-fiddle’ to the other. “Right from the very beginning, from the word go, I drew a line. And it’s a very, very straight fact that my wife is not my actress, and my actress is not my wife. By my wife, I mean the mother of my children. So, my home life, somewhere or the other, was there. Krishna was the mother of my children. While here was my actress. She would share, and have that satisfaction of having contributed to my creativity. That is her satisfaction,” he said in the interview.

Nargis attended Rishi’s wedding with Neetu Singh, and was greeted warmly by Krishna. He wrote in his autobiography, “Nargis-ji had not set foot in RK Studios after she completed Jagte Raho in 1956. However, that day, she came with Sunil Dutt to attend the ceremony. She was apparently very nervous about attending a Kapoor event after twenty-four years. My mother, sensing her hesitation, reportedly took her aside and said, ‘My husband is a handsome man. He is also a romantic. I can understand the attraction. I know what you are thinking, but please don’t beat yourself up over the past. You have come to my home on a happy occasion and we are here today as friends’.”