Suchitra Krishnamoorthi's family objected to 30-years-older Shekhar Kapur: ‘Mummy ne pair pakadke bola mat karo’

Suchitra Krishnamoorthi reflects on her relationship with filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, sharing memories of their first meeting and her family's initial objections.

Actor Suchitra Krishnamoorthi has opened up about her relationship with filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, recalling how she first met him as a teenager and was instantly drawn to him. In a candid conversation with Hauterrfly's The Male Feminist, the actor also remembered how her family reacted to their age gap, revealing that her mother initially pleaded with her not to pursue the relationship. However, later supported her during separation.

Suchitra Krishnamoorthi on parents reaction to her age gap with Shekhar Kapur

Suchitra Krishnamoorthi talks about family being hesitant about her marrying Shekhar Kapur.

Suchitra recalled her first meeting with Shekhar and said, "The first time I saw him I was in 11th standard. He came as a chief guest in my college. He looked at me and said something and I was like yay. I was. Fan girl. Then Gautam Rajadhyaksha sent me to meet him when I was 18 for a film that never got made. After we met, he kept calling me and taking me out. My sister used to be very furious." Suchitra is 50 years old while Shekar is 80.

Talking about her family's reaction to their age gap between them, Suchitra said, "mummy ne aise pair pakadke bola tha please mat karo (My mother literally held my feet and begged me, saying, ‘Please don’t do this). But when things started going wrong my mother said listen you don't have to put up with anything that is disrespectful, you are not an orfan. We have always continued fighting but she has that fire and she gave me that fire."

About Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and Shekhar Kapur work

Suchitra rose to fame with her role in the movie Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 1993. Since then she featured in films like Vishwa, Jazbaat, Aag, Karma Aur Holi and more. She was last seen on the big screen in 2022 movie, Odd Couple. Shekhar, on the other hand, is an acclaimed Indian filmmaker and actor, best known for directing films such as Masoom, Mr India and Bandit Queen.

He also gained international recognition for directing Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and the film won BAFTA Awards for Outstanding British Film. He is now set to direct Foreign Bodies, a historical drama biopic about vaccine pioneer and bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine.

Kapur, director of seven-time Oscar nominee Elizabeth, its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and Cannes entry Bandit Queen, told Deadline: “Foreign Bodies is a large-scale character drama about a man caught at the intersection of epidemic, empire, prejudice and faith. This is a story of such epic scale, yet of such personal and internal conflict, of a man who saved millions of lives, becoming both worshiped as a God and reviled as the devil. It has a love story that transcends cultural conflict and is heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. In another time and another context, but in its epic nature, this film reminds of Lawrence of Arabia.”