Pankaj Kapur is one of the most prolific actors in Indian cinema. Recipient of several awards, he has an array of iconic films, such as Maqbool, Roja, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, etc., to his credit. After graduating from the National School of Drama, Pankaj initially did theatre. In 1984, he made his acting debut with Shyam Benegal’s Arohan, which was followed by many parallel and commercial films.
Not just in cinema, Pankaj was also one of the most prominent names in television. In the 1980s, he became a household name with his popular TV series, Karamchand, followed by Zabaan Sambhalke, Mohandas B.A.L.L.B., comic satire, Office Office and many more.
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Pankaj Kapur had a tremendous career trajectory, but his personal life has always garnered much attention. From his early marriage to dancer, Neliima Azeem, heartbreaking divorce to second marriage with actress, Supriya Pathak, Pankaj’s personal life has seen many ups and downs. Despite all this, each member of his family shares a cordial bond with one another. Let us look at Pankaj’s two marriages and why he separated from Neliima.
Pankaj Kapur met Neliima Azeem while he was doing theatre at the National School of Drama. Neliima, on the other hand, was a classical dancer, who was taking tutelage from Kathak maestro, the late Pandit Birju Maharaj. Neliima debuted as a Kathak dancer and was quite popular in the circles of Delhi.
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Their common love for art connected Pankaj and Neliima, and they soon became good friends. The duo got married in 1979 and settled in New Delhi. In 1981, they welcomed their son, Shahid Kapoor.
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Neliima was quite young when she conceived Shahid and before she could know about her pregnancy, Pankaj had left for Mumbai to try his luck in acting. The couple never had a home together as she lived with her parents as Pankaj left for Mumbai, and even during her pregnancy, Neliima's parents and brother took care of her. Talking about the same in an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Neliima said:
“I was actually taken care of by my parents and my brother during the pregnancy all through. Later when Shahid was born, we were with my parents in their home. Pankaj and I never had a home together ever. Shahid was used to staying with us there in Delhi.”
Shahid Kapoor was three and a half years of age when Pankaj Kapur and Neliima Azeem separated. Neliima, who had never faced rejection in her life, underwent a traumatic phase during her separation. Everything was good in Neliima’s life till the divorce happened. Talking about facing sorrow, anxiety and grief, Neliima, in the same interview, stated:
“It was the first time when I actually experienced grief, sorrow, rejection, anxiety, pain and fear of the unknown. And a whole lot of insecurity. And also a sense of feeling claustrophobic that I have to stay with my parents now and raise the child on my own and how I am going to be moving towards being the independent girl that I always wanted to be and in many ways was."
Daughter of veteran actress, Dina Pathak and Baldev Pathak, Supriya began her acting career under a play directed by her mother. She made her Hindi film debut with Shyam Benegal’s film, Kalyug in 1981. She met Pankaj Kapur during the shooting of their unreleased film, Agla Mausam.
Much like Pankaj, Supriya too was divorced from a previous marriage, which she did at the age of 22. It was their love for cinema and theatre that brought them close. After two years of courtship, Supriya and Pankaj began their forever journey in 1988. Supriya and Pankaj welcomed their kids, Sanah Kapur, in 1990 and Ruhaan Kapur, in 1994.
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Supriya Pathak’s mother, Dina Pathak was a well-known actress. Till her last years, the veteran actress kept telling her daughter that Pankaj would leave her. In an interview with Tweak India, Supriya revealed that her mother always had doubts about Pankaj. Speaking about the same, she said:
“My mother, till the last few years of her life, still tried changing my mind even after two children. She kept saying ‘he will leave you!' I said, ‘ya, okay, now what’. It has been there for so many years, she kept telling me 'You made a mistake, he will leave you.' I would say, ‘its okay, I will manage’."
Despite being madly in love with Supriya Pathak, Pankaj Kapur made it clear to her that his son, Shahid Kapoor, would be his first priority. Recalling the same in an interview, Supriya Pathak once mentioned:
“I had no problems at all that he was married before. I met him with a clean slate. He had made it clear from the beginning that his son Shahid meant the most to him."
Supriya shares a warm bond with Shahid ever since she got married to Pankaj Kapur. Interestingly, Supriya’s children, Sanaah and Ruhaan, also share a great bond with their step-brother, Shahid Kapoor, as well as with Neliima Azeem’s youngest son, Ishaan Khatter. Earlier, in an interview with The Indian Express, Supriya called Shahid the main anchor of the family and stated that he is the most important part of their family.
Despite the heartbreaking separation, Pankaj Kapur’s first wife, Neliima Azeem, is cordial with his second wife, Supriya Pathak. Their children, Shahid Kapoor, Sanah Kapur, Ruhaan Kapur, and Ishaan Khatter, are a perfect example of a modern family.
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