It’s quite common in the film industry for actors to develop romantic connections when they spend long periods working closely together on projects. The same happened with Raj Kapoor and Nargis. What began
as an on-screen chemistry eventually turned into a full-fledged affair, even though Raj was already married to Krishna Raj Kapoor at the time.
Raj and Nargis fell in love when they worked together on Barsaat (1949), and stayed together for the next few years. Raj never left his wife, and Nargis, who had grown tired of waiting for him, moved on.
Raj Kapoor Said, ‘my wife is not my actress, and my actress is not my wife’
In a documentary by Prasar Bharti, Raj Kapoor shared, “From the very start, I established a boundary. It’s a clear fact that my wife is not my actress, and my actress is not my wife. When I say my wife, I refer to the mother of my children. My family life was always present. Krishna was the mother of my kids. Meanwhile, my actress was there to share in and find fulfillment in my creative endeavors. That was her joy.”
After Nargis moved on and married Sunil Dutt, she severed all ties with Raj and never looked back, until the day she was invited to Rishi Kapoor’s wedding. Raj personally sent an invitation to Nargis and Sunil for Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh’s marriage. It was there that Nargis met Raj again and also came face-to-face with his wife, Krishna Raj Kapoor.
A long-standing chapter came full circle as Nargis, once the face of RK Films’ iconic logo, hadn’t set foot inside the studio since shooting Jagte Raho in 1956, but she returned for the first time that day for Rishi’s wedding.
Krishna Kapoor said, “I can understand the attraction”
In his memoir Khullam Khulla, Rishi Kapoor recalled that Nargis felt nervous about attending a Kapoor family function after 24 long years. But Raj Kapoor’s wife, Krishna, eased her worries, she reportedly welcomed Nargis warmly and even acknowledged that the romance between Raj and Nargis made sense, given Raj’s romantic nature.
He wrote, “Nargis-ji had not set foot in RK Studios after she completed Jagte Raho in 1956. However, that day, she came with Sunil Dutt to attend the ceremony. She was apparently very nervous about attending a Kapoor event after twenty-four years. My mother, sensing her hesitation, reportedly took her aside and said, ‘My husband is a handsome man. He is also a romantic. I can understand the attraction. I know what you are thinking, but please don’t beat yourself up over the past. You have come to my home on a happy occasion and we are here today as friends.’”
Rishi Kapoor was ‘not ashamed’ of Raj Kapoor’s affair with Nargis
Rishi Kapoor later discussed this chapter of his family’s past in interviews as well. Speaking on the show Aap Ki Adalat, he reflected on how creative collaborations can blur personal boundaries. “We respect that a filmmaker, while working, develops friendships. Sometimes, these friendships transform into something else. We work in the creative field, we seek inspiration from each other, we rely on each other,” he said.
He added, “We are human beings, after all. And a human being will love only another human being. Kabhi kabhi shaadishuda logon ka aisa haadsa ho jaata hai. It is part of life, I guess.”
Rishi also clarified that the Kapoor family carried no shame about this chapter. “We are not ashamed of this chapter in our lives. Both families are cordial with each other. But it happened. It’s history, and we respect that,” he said.
Raj Kapoor died in 1988 at the age of 63, while Nargis died in 1981 at the age of 51 after a battle with cancer.
