How Kareena Kapoor's marriage preserves family tradition

Highlights

• For the Kapoors of Bollywood, marriages are made on set. Kareena, who is marrying boyfriend of five years Saif Ali Khan, has chosen to wed a co-star just like her father, uncles and grand-uncles before her.
• It all began with Shammi and Shashi Kapoor, brother of Kareena’s grandfather Raj, who fell in love with actresses they met on set.
• Geeta who was a year older than Shammi Kapoor and had acted opposite both his father Prithviraj and elder brother Raj Kapoor.
• Shammi Kapoor met Geeta Bali while filming 1955’s Rangeen Raaten in which she had a cameo and he had the lead role. He was then a struggling actor while Geeta Bali was a well-known lead actress. They had the filmiest of romances, eloping just four months after they first met. The Kapoors disapproved of Geeta who was a year older than Shammi Kapoor and had acted opposite both his father Prithviraj and elder brother Raj Kapoor. There was no happy ending in store. 10 years and two children later, in 1965, Geeta Bali died of small pox.
• He met stage actress Jennifer Kendal in Kolkata in 1956.
• Life was a little kinder to Shashi, the third brother. He met stage actress Jennifer Kendal in Kolkata in 1956. Both were part of theatre groups run by their respective fathers. Despite parental opposition - this time it was the bride-to-be’s father who objected - they were married in 1958 and had three children together. Shashi and Jennifer Kapoor appeared in several, mostly Merchant-Ivory, films together including Junoon. In 1984, Jennifer died of cancer leaving her husband distraught and dealing with medical problems and obesity.
• . They fell in love while shooting Kal Aaj Aur Kal.
• Kareena’s father Randhir Kapoor and mother Babita also met on set. They fell in love while shooting Kal Aaj Aur Kal. This time, Randhir’s father Raj Kapoor laid down a condition for their marriage. Babita had to agree to give up her career in acting as a Kapoor bahu. Randhir and Babita Kapoor eventually separated, though they have never divorced, and Babita supported both her daughters, Karisma and Kareena, when they wanted to break Kapoor tradition to become actresses themselves.
• he couple first appeared together in 1974’s Zehreela Insaan.
• Randhir’s younger brother Rishi Kapoor was among the leading actors of his generation, as was his girlfriend and co-star of many films Neetu Singh. The couple first appeared together in 1974’s Zehreela Insaan and went on to co-star in such hit films as Rafoo Chakkar, Khel Khel Mein and Amar Akbar Anthony. Once again, there was family uproar – from both sides – when they wanted to get married. Rishi Kapoor famously went to Neetu Singh’s house while he was ill with very high fever to ask her parents for permission to marry their daughter. That determination paid off in 1981, when they were finally married after a high-profile engagement. They have two children together, and son Ranbir is among the bright young stars of Bollywood now.
• Just like the older Kapoor men, Kareena will marry a co-star. Saif and she have appeared together in Tashan, Kurbaan and Agent Vinod.