What Arjun Kapoor was scared about after mom's death: 'How would I take care of Anshula?'

Arjun Kapoor once talked about the impact that their parents' divorce and mother's death must have had on his younger sister Anshula Kapoor. On Raksha Bandhan, we revisit what he said.

Arjun Kapoor has often spoken about his sister Anshula Kapoor and how she sacrificed a career in the US for his well-being. Arjun and Anshula are the oldest children of film producer Boney Kapoor from his first marriage to Mona Shourie. He separated from her in 1996 and married actor Sridevi, with who he had two daughters--Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor.

Arjun Kapoor And Anshula Kapoor are the eldest children of producer Boney Kapoor,

In 2017, Arjun had spoken about the impact his parents' separation and their mother's death had on him and Anshula. He also said that Anshula has been through 'far worse' than him.

Speaking to to Huffington Post, he had said, “My sister, Anshula, has stood by me like a rock. She has gone through far worse. She’s younger than me. I still had 11 years with my father living in the house. I had my mother living with me for 25 years but she only got 20. Imagine a child who has been through a life where the father couldn’t be physically around all the time after the age of five. And the mother who was there physically ill all the time and then after 20 years, she wasn’t there. Imagine the psychological scarring of that child. She’s still more mature, very well-educated, honest and more sincere than me.”

After their mother's death, Arjun was worried how he, still in his early 20s and starting a career as an actor, would care for his young sister with neither of their parents around. “Mum passed away, my only thought was how will I take care of her? I was prepared to take care of myself, how I would take care of Anshula? It’s like having a child when you’re least prepared. She has been my child in the sense; she’s somebody who I am the most protective about. She completed her graduation in the US and passed with flying colours. This was during my film release. She came back to be with me when she could’ve gotten a great job abroad. Till today, she doesn’t accept that she did it for me," he said.

After Sridevi's death in 2018, Arjun and Anshula also became a source of support for their half-sisters Janhvi and Khushi. In a recent interview, Arjun said that though they are still not a family 'unit' still, they are trying to 'merge and coexist with each other'.