Karisma Kapoor had 'endless cars, palatial house' but was not happy in her marriage to Sunjay Kapur, claims '90s director

Veteran filmmaker Suneel Darshan, known for directing several notable Hindi films in the 1990s and early 2000s, recently reflected on the life and troubled marriage of actress Karisma Kapoor and businessman Sunjay Kapur. Having shared a close personal and professional relationship with Karisma and the larger Kapoor family, Darshan offered his perspective on the complexities that defined her marital journey. His observations came in the wake of Sunjay Kapur’s untimely death in June 2025 due to a cardiac arrest, reportedly caused by an allergic reaction after accidentally swallowing a bee during a polo match in the United Kingdom.

Karisma Kapoor, a celebrated actress and granddaughter of cinema legend Raj Kapoor, was married to Sunjay Kapur from 2003 until their legal separation in 2016. The couple share two children—daughter Samaira and son Kiaan. Following Sunjay’s tragic passing, Karisma attended the funeral held in New Delhi, accompanied by her sister, actress Kareena Kapoor, and Kareena’s husband, Saif Ali Khan.

In a conversation with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Darshan expressed sorrow over the trajectory of Karisma's married life. According to him, her marriage represented a phase filled with disappointment and abrupt decisions. He revealed having deep insights into their relationship, largely because Karisma had been close friends with Sunjay’s sister since their childhood. This longstanding bond offered Darshan a window into the events that unfolded behind the scenes.

He claimed there was a "rift" between the two right from the first day. He noted that Karisma’s transition from a Bollywood star to a homemaker was intentional and sincere. She had envisioned a peaceful, grounded life centered around family responsibilities, far from the glamorous world she came from. According to Darshan, Karisma didn’t aspire to join in the high-society lifestyle commonly associated with Delhi’s elite. Instead, she longed for simplicity and domestic contentment.

However, Darshan suggested that Karisma’s identity clashed with the expectations of the environment she married into. He hinted that Sunjay’s family may have viewed her more as a trophy wife than an individual. He speculated that her inability to assimilate into Delhi's social circles may have played a significant role in the marriage’s eventual breakdown. Despite her fame and lineage, Darshan emphasized that Karisma remained unassuming and down-to-earth.

“She was placed into a world that was not hers. Delhi has its own culture, and she wasn’t fitting into it. She was in this palatial house with endless cars, but it just wasn’t her world," he said.

After her separation from Sunjay, he went on to marry Priya Sachdev. Together, they had a child and often spoke publicly about raising a blended family. Priya acknowledged that Sunjay’s first marriage had been far from conventional but stated that their current family dynamic embraced all the children with love and acceptance.

Suneel Darshan, who worked with Karisma in successful films like Jaanwar and Ajay, concluded his remarks by underscoring how deeply unfortunate it was that someone as kind-hearted as Karisma had to go through such emotional turmoil.