Sunjay Kapur’s marriage to Karisma Kapoor felt incomplete, says Suneel Darshan: ‘She tried to adjust’ | Bollywood News

4 min readNew DelhiJul 29, 2026 04:26 PM Filmmaker Suneel Darshan has opened up about Karisma Kapoor’s marriage to late businessman Sunjay Kapur, saying he always felt there was “something lacking” in their relationship and never understood her decision to marry him.
Speaking to Hindi Rush, the director, who collaborated with Karisma Kapoor on films including Jaanwar, Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya and Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, recalled that after Karisma’s engagement to Abhishek Bachchan ended, he was surprised to learn she was set to marry Sunjay.
“Suddenly I heard she was going to marry Sunjay. I never understood that decision,” he said.
Darshan chose to speak cautiously about the marriage, adding that he did not want to comment extensively because Sunjay was no longer alive and the couple had children together.
“Someone has passed away, and they have children. I don’t think I have the right to speak about that. If anyone has that right, it is Karisma.”
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‘There was something lacking’
Darshan said his familiarity with Sunjay’s family came through Karisma’s long-standing friendship with Sunjay’s ser, Mandira.Story continues below this ad
“Karisma and Mandira were childhood best friends. Karisma adapted very well to Sunjay’s family. He came from a wealthy family and they had known each other since childhood. But an actress has to be handled very delicately. There were many things that Karisma found quite odd, yet she adjusted because she had decided to.”
The filmmaker recalled travelling with the couple to Canada during the shooting of Mere Jeevan Saathi, saying he sensed that something was amiss in the relationship.
“We once travelled together to Canada during the shooting of Mere Jeevan Saathi. Sunjay was with us. But there was something lacking. Every relationship should feel complete, and somehow this one felt incomplete.”
Darshan also revealed that he was surprised when he learnt Karisma had decided to marry Sunjay soon after her engagement to Abhishek Bachchan ended.Story continues below this ad
Darshan had earlier called the marriage ‘an ugly turn’
This is not the first time Darshan has spoken about Karisma Kapoor’s marriage. In an earlier interview with journal Vickey Lalwani, he described it as “an ugly turn” in the actor’s life.
“They were friends, they had never been a couple. We went to Delhi several times, we never saw them as a couple. Some things are destined to happen. It was an ugly turn in her life. She wanted to be a domesticated type of wife, but she became a character from a doll’s house. She had seen the world, had done everything. She didn’t want to be playing golf on a Saturday evening. She wanted to spend time at home, with her family. She was more of a homely girl. It’s very sad. I feel for her.”
When asked if Karisma had become a “trophy wife” after marriage, Darshan said she found herself in a world that never truly suited her.
“I think that’s where the problems came from, for the family. That’s what she had become. She was placed into a world that was not hers. Delhi has its own culture, and she wasn’t fitting into that culture. They lived in a huge, palatial house, with an endless number of cars. She had seen everything, she was Raj Kapoor’s granddaughter; fame, success, she was the number one heroine for a duration. When she decided to recede, she wanted to live the life of a wife.”Story continues below this ad
Karisma and Sunjay’s marriage
Karisma Kapoor married industrial Sunjay Kapur in September 2003. They welcomed daughter Samaira in 2005 and son Kiaan in 2010. Their marriage later turned bitter, with both sides levelling allegations against each other during a prolonged legal battle. Their divorce was finalised in 2016.
Sunjay went on to marry Priya Sachdev, and the couple had a son. He died in June 2025 after suffering a cardiac arrest during a polo match in England, reportedly after swallowing a bee. Karisma attended his funeral in Delhi with Samaira and Kiaan.