On Boney Kapoor’s 69th birthday, we revisit his enduring love story with the late actor Sridevi.
In Short
- Boney Kapoor fell in love with Sridevi during Mr. India
- The filmmaker even followed her to Switzerland to prove his sincerity
Film producer Boney Kapoor fell in love with his late wife, actor Sridevi, when he first met her for his 1987 film Mr. India. It was a love that would define the rest.
The few words she spoke in broken Hindi and broken English touched me, moved me, and made me curious to know her more,” he recalled at the summit. At the time, Sridevi was one of the reigning stars of Indian cinema, commanding a fee of Rs 8-8.5 lakh per film. To ensure that Sridevi’s mother would allow her to do Mr. India, Kapoor offered her Rs 11 lakh for the film.
After Sridevi gave her nod to Mr India, Boney Kapoor made sure she got everything she desired. “When the shooting first started, I saw to it that she was the most comfortable on set, she got everything she wanted— even more. I was always ready with everything that she thought of, everything that she desired on set, and made sure she had the best makeup room, best costumes,” added Kapoor, showcasing his commitment to making her happy.
Boney Kapoor’s Persistent Love for Sridevi: A Journey from Rejection to Marriage
Not only this, but Kapoor became so affected by Sridevi that he confessed his feelings to his then-wife, Mona. His only aim at the time was to make Sridevi believe in him and his feelings. “I wanted to get this into her system that I was there for her and absolutely concerned about every bit of thing that she desired or asked for,” he said.
That is when Boney Kapoor claimed that Sridevi realised he had genuine feelings for her, and it was not just a fling. It was love for a lifetime.
“Somewhere she saw that this man was persistent, and she perhaps realised that I was sincere, not looking for a fling. And somehow things fell into place, and what really made a difference was the kind of care and concern I showed towards her family,” he said.
When he first confessed his feelings to her, she became “angry and rattled” and didn’t speak to him for 6–8 months. Things changed after her mother fell ill in 1995, and Kapoor stood by her side during that difficult time. “Sri had begun drawing towards me,” he recalled.
Finally, Boney Kapoor and Sridevi got married in June 1996, though their marriage became public only in January 1997, marking the start of a together.
