Karisma Kapoor’s personal life has returned to public discussion after the sudden death of her ex-husband, Sunjay Kapur, earlier this June. While much of the attention has been on her past marriage, many
have also been revisiting an earlier chapter in her life – her high-profile engagement to Abhishek Bachchan, which once dominated Bollywood headlines.
Karisma Kapoor-Abhishek Bachchan engagement that stunned everyone
Back in the early 2000s, the Kapoor and Bachchan families made a huge announcement that caught everyone off guard – Karisma and Abhishek were engaged. The news was revealed during Amitabh Bachchan’s 60th birthday celebrations, making it one of the most talked-about events of that time. However, less than a year later in 2003, the wedding was suddenly called off, with both families keeping the reasons private. Karisma went on to marry Delhi-based businessman Sunjay Kapur, while Abhishek eventually married Aishwarya Rai in 2007.
Karisma Kapoor opened up on her engagement with Abhishek Bachchan
Years later, Karisma admitted that the broken engagement left her shaken. In an old 2003 interview with Rediff, she called the phase “traumatic.” She explained, “It was deliberate. I withdrew into a shell. I just was not ready to go public with my grief. I chose a dignified silence because that is the kind of person I am. I have always been a woman of few words.”
Karisma described the early months of 2003 as some of the hardest moments of her life. She said, “The beginning of this year was traumatic for me. I wouldn’t wish any girl to go through it. I was forced to deal with my hurt and pain on my own. I guess time is the best healer. Though I have been through a lot, I have come to terms with whatever has happened. All I will say is, whatever is destined is bound to happen. I was emotionally unprepared to confront my problems. Life deals you different cards. You have to just go with the shuffle.”
Support from family
Through it all, Karisma credited her family for standing by her. “I couldn’t have come out of my trauma if it wasn’t for my parents [Babita and Randhir Kapoor], sister [Kareena], my Dadiji [Krishna Raj Kapoor], my two Buas [Rima Jain and Ritu Nanda], and my close friends,” she shared.
Abhishek later found happiness with Aishwarya Rai, and the couple welcomed their daughter Aaradhya in 2011. Karisma, on the other hand, continues to remain a single, balancing her personal life with her work.
