Mumbai: Arjun Kapoor recently opened up about his childhood experiences and the impact of his parents’ separation on Raj Shamani’s podcast. Reflecting on the challenges he faced, Arjun shared how his parents, producer Boney Kapoor and Mona Shourie, split up when he was just 10 years old. He spoke candidly about the emotional toll it took on him and how it shaped his personality over the years.
Arjun explained that, at the time of the split, his father was under immense pressure due to his professional commitments. Boney Kapoor was producing two major films, Prem and Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, which left little room for a traditional father-son relationship. “He was busy making these big films. We never had a normal father-son relationship where he came to pick me up or drop me at school. It’s not that he didn’t try, but I never had that,” Arjun said, adding that the split caused a significant shift in his life.
Although he didn’t witness his parents fighting, Arjun acknowledged that their parting ways was difficult to process. “I never saw them fighting. I was very fortunate. They respected that,” he said, calling their separation “amicable.”
The split forced Arjun to mature quickly and become responsible. “I grew up very fast,” he admitted. “I realised I had to be well-behaved because I knew what was going on. It was also a high-profile situation because my father is well-known.”
Arjun also revealed that he had to navigate his emotions carefully during this time, balancing his struggles while maintaining composure. He shared, “I couldn’t throw a tantrum about it or act spoilt, but I think somewhere I lost interest in being good at education as a form of rebellion.”
Arjun reflected on how the separation affected his academic performance. “Until the fourth standard, I was very into studies. After the split, I lost interest. I think it was my way of rebelling. I chose to look away from education because I felt people were making their own choices, and I wanted to make mine.”
Despite this phase, Arjun credited his friends and family for providing him with support and a sense of normalcy, which helped him avoid feelings of isolation.
Arjun shared that his relationship with his father, Boney Kapoor, has evolved significantly in recent years. “Now, I have an equation with him, and I spend a lot more time with him. Over the last five years, in traumatic situations, the bridging of our relationship happened.”
Arjun also spoke about the profound impact of losing his mother, Mona Shourie, at the age of 25, just before the release of his debut film, Ishaqzaade. Calling it a “traumatic time,” he said, “I lost my backbone just as I was stepping into an uncertain career.”
Despite the challenges, Arjun acknowledged that his childhood was not entirely bleak. “It wasn’t like I went through hell because of it. It was balanced out. Dad’s family was there, and Dad was there.”
His candid revelations reflect not only the pain of navigating personal hardships in the public eye but also his resilience in finding balance and forging deeper bonds with his family over time.