When Randhir Kapoor admitted he was a ‘horrible husband’ to Babita, Kareena Kapoor spoke about how her mother struggled

Babita Kapoor turns 75 today. The actor, who ruled the silver screen for a brief time, got married to Randhir Kapoor in 1971 and became a part of the most reputed film family. However, her life was not a fairytale. Babita and Randhir have been living separately for several decades now. Their daughters Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor have often opened up on how Babita brought them up single-handedly without any help from the Kapoors.
In 2011, speaking to Hindustan Times, Kareena spoke about how their growing up years were not as luxurious as one would expect them to be. “We weren’t brought up in luxury, as people think about the Kapoor clan. My mom (Babita) and ser (Karisma) really struggled to give me a better life. Especially my mom, because she was a single parent. Everything was very limited for us,” she said.

Babita Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor with Raj Kapoor. (Photo: Express Archive)
She revealed that Karisma used to travel to college in local trains, while she took a school bus like any normal kid. The Jab We Met actor spoke about how they had only one car and no money to hire a driver. “It’s only because mom brought us up like this that we value everything we have today. The bad days we have seen have made us very strong and fragile at the same time. And the experiences have made me a very intense person,” she added.
In another interview, Karisma opened up on how her mother made sure to visit their school and ask the teachers to treat them just like other kids.
Randhir and Babita with newborn Karisma. (Photo: Express Archive)
Kareena also told Mumbai Mirror in 2007 that Babita “was always doing something, she single-handedly brought us up. She has a real estate business apart from other small businesses. It was tough.” She said that even though her father Randhir was an an important factor in their life, they were left alone to fend for themselves. “But now we see more of our father, though we did not see him often in our initial years. We are a family now,” she admitted.
Randhir, who has never shied away from talking about his personal life, had once called himself a “horrible husband.” In an interview with Times of India in 2016, Randhir spoke about how nothing has changed for him in all these years. Talking about Babita, he said that she is in a “happy space.” “She’s not got married again and nor does she intend to, neither do I. She continues to be my wife and I continue to be her incorrigible, horrible husband. So be it!” he said.
Here’s another photo of Randhir with Babita and Karisma. (Photo: Express Archive)
Randhir also opened up about Babita when he appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show with daughter Karisma Kapaoor. During the episode, he said he was not serious about Babita but it was Raj Kapoor who made him get married to her. On the show, when he was asked how he proposed to Babita for marriage, Randhir replied that his family was aware of the relationship and they never gave him that chance. “Unhone chance hi nahi diya (They never gave me a chance),” Randhir recalled.

The actor-filmmaker was also quoted heaping praise on Babita for the way she brought up Kareena and Karisma. “She found that I was a terrible man who drank a lot and came home late, which was something she didn’t like. And I didn’t want to live the way she wanted, and she couldn’t accept me as I am, though it was a love marriage. So it’s okay. We had two lovely children to look after. She brought them up in the best way and they have excelled in their career. What else I could have asked for as a father?” he told HT in an interview.