Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor’s love story began with a veil: ‘She was playing tanpura when uncle wanted to see her face’ reveals nephew Monty Premnath

The story of Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor remains one of the memorable chapters in the Kapoor family’s history. Interestingly, their relationship began with a meeting involving music, a veil and an unexpected introduction. Raj Kapoor’s relationship with Krishna Kapoor began before he became one of the most celebrated names in Indian cinema. According to Krishna Kapoor’s nephew Monty Premnath, their first meeting had an unusual beginning.Raj Kapoor was friends with actor Prem Nath, who was Krishna Kapoor’s brother. During a visit to Madhya Pradesh, Raj Kapoor reportedly heard Krishna Kapoor playing the tanpura. She was performing with her face covered by a veil. Raj Kapoor became curious about the woman behind the veil. He wanted to see her face, but Krishna Kapoor did not lift it. Monty Premnath later shared the story during a 2024 interview with Vickey Lalwani. “Krishna, my bua, Krishna aunty was playing the tanpura there. Raj uncle wanted to see her face but she would stay under a veil,” he recalled.

Prem Nath used Ashok Kumar’s name

Prem Nath knew that Krishna Kapoor was a huge admirer of actor Ashok Kumar. He reportedly used that information to create an opportunity for Raj Kapoor to meet her properly. Prem Nath told his sister that Ashok Kumar had accompanied him. Krishna Kapoor, believing that her favourite actor was present, reportedly lifted her veil. The person standing before her was Raj Kapoor. According to Monty Premnath, the moment resulted in an immediate connection between the two. ‘She was a very big fan of Ashok Kumar so my father said ‘Krishna, mere sath Ashok Kumar aaya hai (Ashok Kumar is with me) so she picked up the pallu and she saw Raj Uncle and it was love at first sight. And they got married,” he recalled.

Raj Kapoor married Krishna Kapoor at 21

Raj Kapoor was 21 when he married Krishna Kapoor, who was 16 at the time. Their wedding took place before Raj Kapoor reached the peak of his career. Their marriage continued as Raj Kapoor established himself as an actor, filmmaker and producer. Over the years, the couple faced challenges in their personal life. Raj Kapoor was linked with several actresses during his career. Reports about his relationships created difficult periods in his marriage. Krishna Kapoor, however, remained with him until his death in 1988. Their relationship lasted for decades. Krishna Kapoor continued to be an important part of the Kapoor family even as Raj Kapoor’s professional stature grew.

Raj Kapoor’s career after marriage

Raj Kapoor went on to become one of the defining figures of Hindi cinema. His work as an actor and filmmaker helped establish his reputation across India and overseas. One of his later directorial projects was ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’. The movie was released in 1985 and became an important part of his filmography. Raj Kapoor subsequently began working on ‘Henna’. The movie was intended to be another major directorial project, but he could not complete it during his lifetime.

‘Henna’ became Raj Kapoor’s final movie

Raj Kapoor died in 1988 while ‘Henna’ was still in development. After his death, his son Randhir Kapoor took over the project and completed the movie. ‘Henna’ was eventually released in 1991. The movie therefore became Raj Kapoor’s final directorial work.