Born as Babita Hari Shivdasani, on April 20, 1947, Babita was the daughter of actor, Hari Shivdasani. She made her acting debut with the 1966 film, Dus Lakh, which also starred her future sister-in-law, Neetu Singh. One of the most successful actresses of her time, Babita proved her acting mettle in movies like Farz, Kismat, Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati, Kal Aaj Aur Kal and many more.
Babita met Randhir Kapoor on the set of the film, Sangam, where he came along with his father, Raj Kapoor and she was also present there. Randhir fell head-over-heels in love with the doe-eyed beauty. After a few years of courtship, the duo got married in 1971 at the Kapoor residence. The couple welcomed two beautiful daughters, Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. After Randhir’s career had started declining, his relationship with Babita went sour, and the two parted ways.
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Do you know, Randhir Kapoor never proposed to Babita for marriage? Yes, you read that right. During an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show, the veteran actor shared an anecdote from his dating days. Randhir stated that everyone in his family knew about his relationship with Babita and it was his father, Raj Kapoor, who intervened and asked him to get married to Babita. Sharing details about the same, he said:
“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?' I didn’t have to propose to her. My parents proposed to her.”
Talking about troubles in Ranbir and Babita’s married life, it all started in the 1980s, when Randhir’s career started to see a downfall and none of his films was working. After the birth of their second child, Kareena Kapoor in 1981, financial woes started to take a toll on Randhir and Babita’s relationship. By the mid-1980s, Randhir Kapoor was stamped as a ‘flop hero’. By that time he had become an alcoholic and stopped taking his acting career seriously. Finally, in 1987, Babita decided to separate from him.
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Despite being a successful actress of her time, Babita quit acting to marry the love of her life, Randhir Kapoor as it is a tradition in the Kapoor family that Kapoor bahus cannot act in films after marriage. Despite the sacrifice, Babita couldn’t save her marriage with Randhir. The news of their separation spread like wildfire and created an uproar in the media. Randhir and Babita lived in separate homes for many years, even though they were still legally married. Eventually in 2007, after 19 years of separation, the estranged life partners buried their differences and reunited.
Despite living separately for 19 years, Randhir and Babita’s love was so strong that they never carried any bitterness for each other.
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