August 13, 2025, would have been the 62nd birthday of Sridevi, India’s finest actress, whose unending elegance, ability, and spirit all still remain with us in hearts and memories. Even though she died in 2018, her legacy remains as tangible as it used to be in the hearts of her devoted fans, her producer husband Boney Kapoor, and her relatives. Their love story, long clouded by controversy and speculation, is one that went against the social norms, personal challenges, and even a somber chapter of history: the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.
First Glance: When Boney Kapoor First Saw a Star
It was in the late 1970s that Boney Kapoor saw Sridevi for the first time, watching her perform in a Tamil film. He was impressed with her on-screen presence and decided it was his duty to cast her in Shekhar Kapur’s ambitious superhero movie Mr. India (1987), which he was producing. By then, Boney was already married to Mona Shourie Kapoor and father to two children, Arjun and Anshula. Despite his family commitments, he found himself drawn to Sridevi.
During the filming of Mr. India, Boney ensured Sridevi had everything she could possibly need, from the best makeup room to tailored costumes and personal care. “I saw to it that she was the most comfortable on set; she got everything she wanted and more,” he recalled during the India Today Woman Summit in 2013.
A Love Confession and a Long Silence
Their working relationship gradually grew into something deeper, at least on Boney’s side. When he finally confessed his feelings, it wasn’t met with instant affection. In fact, Sridevi was so upset by his revelation that she stopped talking to him for six to eight months. But destiny had another script to pen.
It was during 1993, when there were bomb explosions in Mumbai, that Sridevi was in trouble. It was Boney Kapoor who saved her, giving her shelter and food. It was the culmination of that relationship. With the passage of time, as Boney stood by her side in times of personal turmoil, such as her mother’s illness in 1995, Sridevi began to open up to him.
“She began drawing towards me,” Boney recalled in a later interview, describing the slow but steady evolution of their relationship.
Secret Wedding and a New Chapter
By 1996, Sridevi became pregnant with their first child. Boney separated from Mona Kapoor, though they were never formally divorced, and quietly married Sridevi in a private ceremony that same year. The couple kept their marriage under wraps for months, only confirming it publicly in 1997 after Sridevi’s pregnancy became visibly obvious.
Their first daughter, Janhvi Kapoor, was born on March 6, 1997. Three years later, they were blessed with their second daughter, Khushi, on November 5, 2000. In the face of public and media criticism and opposition, the couple remained deeply devoted to one another until Sridevi’s tragic death on February 24, 2018, in Dubai by accidental drowning.
Boney Kapoor Remembers: “You Are 26”
On what would have been her 62nd birthday, Boney Kapoor posted on social media a moving tribute. Posting an old portrait of a radiant Sridevi, he captioned it, “Yesssss You are not 62 today. You are 26. Happy birthday. We are still reliving all your happy birthdays,” adding heart and kiss emojis.
In another nostalgic post, he shared a photo from her 27th birthday in Chennai. In that moment, Boney had cheekily wished her a happy 26th instead, saying, “With every passing day she is getting younger,” a compliment that Sridevi initially took as teasing. That anecdote, full of warmth and affection, continues to live on through his memories.
No Biopic, Only Privacy
Despite growing public interest in a biopic on Sridevi’s life, Boney Kapoor has remained firm in his refusal. In an interview with DNA, he stated, “She was a very private person, and her life should remain private. I don’t think there ever will be [a biopic]. Till the time I live, I will not allow this to happen.”
Opening up further in an earlier conversation with The New Indian, Boney addressed the rumors surrounding her death. He emphasized, “It was not a natural death; it was an accidental death. I underwent all the interrogation, even the lie detector. Dubai police issued a clean chit after proper investigation.
A Love Story That Endures
Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s bond defied convention, carried the weight of the public eye, and survived personal turbulence. And yet, through it all, it was held together by mutual respect, shared moments, and abiding love. On her birth anniversary, fans and family alike remember not just the superstar she was, but the woman she became with Boney Kapoor by her side.
Even today, in Boney’s eyes, Sridevi hasn’t aged a day past 26.