Neetu Kapoor
Neetu Kapoor

Neetu Kapoor doesn’t speak to the media too much, but thanks to her role in Besharam – which she will be doing with Ranbir and Rishi Kapoor – she’s been seen a lot more these days. Most recently, she gave an interview where she opened up about a lot of factors in her life, including her relationship with her husband (who she calls “Bob”). It’s interesting if you – like me – are fascinated with the older days of Bollywood and everyone’s interpersonal relationships, especially since things were a lot more private back then. Here’s an excerpt!

Ranbir Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor

Neetu told TOI:

“My mom was so protective that I was not allowed to even go for coffee with my friends. Even if someone looked at me, she would bash him up. She was really dominating and people would get scared of her. She would get upset if my husband flirted with me. She told me, ‘You should not have affairs. If you go from one person to the other, he will also leave you and then you would again have to go to yet another. Your name will be spoilt and it will remain like that.’ That stayed in my mind. So whatever ups and downs I went through with my husband, I did not want to leave him and wanted to always hold on. Even as my boyfriend, we would have a lot of fights and he would not let me shoot post 8.30 pm. I used to be so scared that I would not even change and go and sit in the car to go home early. Even when we were dating, he remained a total flirt and would pretend he did not have other affairs when he was caught and always denied it. I knew that. But I was too innocent and if he said ‘nahi hai’ I would believe him. He knew in his mind that I was a simple person and felt yeh mujhe sambhal legi and that he could mould and dominate over me.”

Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor

She continues:

“I was oblivious of my star status and would even sit on the floor talking to junior artistes. I was not pretentious. He would write letters when I went outdoors and have it delivered to me by all his friends who were my co-stars. I would be teased and be considered his property. We were dating for five years. At 21, I had signed a lot of big movies and was at the peak of my career and had lost weight and that is when he got insecure. He would initially say, ‘I am going around with you, but will not get married to you. But then one day he asked me, ‘Don’t you want to get married?’ I said, ‘To whom? ‘He said ‘What do you think I am?’ I agreed. I had settled my mom financially and bought her a house. She did my wedding in a grand way and the whole of India was upset that Rishi Kapoor was getting married.”

Really gives you a glimpse into the life of a Bollywood actress back then, doesn’t it? I have to say that bits of it even made me uncomfortable, such as “he would pretend he didn’t have other affairs” and “I would be teased and be considered his property.” In any case, it made for an interesting read and now I’m very tempted to go back and watch the Rishi-Neetu episode of Koffee with Karan:

Did you read the interview? What do you think?