Shakti Kapoor and Shivangi Kolhapure's Love Story
There have been lot of villains in Bollywood who have carved a niche for themselves, and Shakti Kapoor is definitely one of them. During the 1980’s and early 1990’s he has played roles of heinous characters in numerous films. Later on in his career he also played many comic roles in movies like Andaaz Apna Apna, Raja Babu etc, which too became very popular. He teamed up with the late Kader Khan as a comical and evil duo, in over one hundred movies, where his performances were really appreciated. However, in real life, Shakti Kapoor is diametrically opposite to his reel life.
Both Shakti and Shivangi come from a Very Different Background
Shakti Kapoor was born as Sunil Sikanderlal Kapoor in a middle class Punjabi family in Delhi. After completing his initial schooling from Delhi, he enrolled himself in Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Graduating from there, he moved to Mumbai looking for work. The first role that he got was of a villain, and felt that his name did not do justice to the character. That’s when he changed his name to Shakti Kapoor. Shivangi, on the other hand came from middle class Marathi family and was raised in Mumbai. She is the eldest among her siblings, Padmini Kolhapure and Tejaswini Kolhapure, who too were known actresses in Bollywood.
They First Met each other During a Film Shoot in 1980
Shakti Kapoor had a pivotal negative role in the movie ‘Kismet’ which also had Mithun Chakraborty and Padmini Kolhapure. However, due to issues with dates of her availability, Padmini could not be part of the project. With very little options, the producers of the film signed her elder sister Shivangi Kolhapure, who resembled Padmini a lot and had the same beauty and grace. As it stood, the film was scheduled in a way that both Shakti and Shivangi did not have any scenes together and had different shooting dates. But with the original shooting being delayed and some other dates issues cropping up, Shakti and Shivangi were allotted the same dates for the shoot. This is where they both met for the first time.
It was Love at First Sight for Shivangi
Shivangi was a teenager when she did the movie. She was a new comer and Shakti too was not very well established at that time. She was very impressed with Shakti and fell for him instantly. Both of them hit it off soon and by the end of shooting of the film, they were seeing each other. Though the film was a dud at the box office, their relationship grew stronger and the young love birds started dating each other.
Shivangi actually Ran Away from Home to get Married to Shakti
From 1980 -1982, Shakti and Shivangi dated each other secretly for two years. Once she turned 18, they decided to inform their respective parents about their relationship, seeking their blessings to get married. However, Shivangi’s family was conservative and was vehemently opposed to the relationship. They put their foot down even threatened to disown her if she went ahead with the relationship with Shakti. Just as it happens in a typical Bollywood love story, the young couple had no other option but to elope and get married. Shivangi ran away from her house and both of them had a court marriage in 1982.
The Beginning of Trying Times for Young Shivangi after Marriage
While Shakti’s family accepted Shivangi, as was expected, her own family distanced itself from the couple and disowned Shivangi. In fact they vowed never to see her again. Shivangi too never returned home to her parents. The rift between the families continued for some years. Meanwhile Shakti Kapoor made a name in Bollywood and established himself with a strong foot hold in the industry. The couple had two children – Shraddha Kapoor and Siddhant Kapoor. Shivangi remained resolute on her decision about not visiting her family, but after the birth of Shraddha and Siddhant, her family accepted Shakti Kapoor as their son-in-law and their two grandchildren.
The Casting Couch Controversy that Shook the Kapoor Family
Things were going good for the family until Shakti Kapoor’s name came up in a sting operation done by India TV in 2005. The sting operation video showed Shakti seeking sexual favor from the undercover reporter, who posed as an aspiring actress. India TV said that this sting was aimed at exposing the casting couch phenomenon in Bollywood. A huge controversy erupted in Bollywood with this expose’ and the Film and Television Producers Guild of India banned Shakti Kapoor. However, they lifted the ban after a week’s time. Shakti Kapoor insisted he was innocent and that he was being framed. It was tough times for the entire family, especially young Shraddha, who later in an interview spoke about that bad phase in her life.
