When Raj Kapoor asked Babita to get married to son Randhir Kapoor: ‘I didn’t propose to her as my parents…’
Babita and Randhir Kapoor have had a rather unconventional marriage but their wedding was anything but that. Babita, who is celebrating her 76th birthday on Thursday, was only 24 years old when she got married to Randhir. While the couple was in love with each other, Randhir never proposed to Babita as Randhir’s father Raj Kapoor was keen on getting his son married.
During an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show, Randhir shared an anecdote from the time he was shooting his first directorial Kal Aaj Aur Kal which starred him and Babita, and also his father Raj Kapoor and his grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor. Randhir was asked if the song “Aap Yahan Aaye Kisliye” which ends with the lyrics “shaadi ka iraada hai” was something that the script demanded, or he wanted for himself. Randhir laughed and shared, “Meri demand pehle bani hui thi isliye maine yeh ghusaya (I already knew what I wanted, that’s why I inserted it in the song).”
Randhir recalled that everyone in the family knew about their relationship at this point and Raj Kapoor had started asking as to when they would get married. “He (Raj Kapoor) knew but I was doing a lot of ‘time pass’. He asked, ‘Are you planning to get married?’ I said ‘Yes, I will’. He said, ‘When? When she is old that’s when you will get married?’” Randhir further recalled, “I didn’t have to propose to her. My parents proposed to her.”
The wedding of Randhir Kapoor and Babita was a starry affair that was attended by Dev Anand, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Rekha, Rajendra Kumar and all the stars of that time.
Randhir and Babita have two daughters – Kareena and Karisma. The two are still married but have been living separately for many decades now.
