Anshula Kapoor, the daughter of renowned film producer Boney Kapoor and his first wife, the late Mona Shourie Kapoor, has grown up navigating a deeply emotional and public family history. Born into a family closely linked with the Bollywood industry, Anshula was just under six years old when her parents' 13-year-long marriage ended in separation. What followed was not just a broken home but an inner world filled with confusion, guilt, and the burden of public scrutiny.
Blaming Herself For Her Parents’ Separation
In a heartfelt conversation with Pinkvilla, Anshula opened up about the emotional weight she carried as a child. She admitted that she spent years believing that her very existence contributed to her parents' divorce. According to Anshula, her mind, at such a tender age, couldn’t comprehend the complexities of adult relationships.
She interpreted the split as a direct result of her own inadequacies. When her half-sister, Janhvi Kapoor, was born from Boney’s second marriage to actress Sridevi, Anshula’s guilt deepened. She felt as if she was the problem that had driven her parents apart, while Janhvi’s arrival symbolized something whole and unbroken.
"I was about a little bit under 6 years old when that happened. I internalised it to be like 'Oh my parents separated because something is wrong in me'. As a 6 year old I thought that before I came into their lives everything was hunky dory. I came into their lives, and now suddenly they do not belong together anymore. Maybe I was not a good enough daughter, and that became more apparent after Jaanu was born because I was like maybe something was wrong with me.." she shared.
Navigating Social Rejection At School
Anshula’s emotional struggle wasn’t limited to her home. In a conversation with journalist Nayandeep Rakshit, she recalled being ostracized at school in the wake of her father's high-profile remarriage. During the 1990s in India, separation and remarriage were still considered taboo, especially among celebrities. After Boney Kapoor married Sridevi in 1996—following his divorce from Mona—Anshula noticed a stark shift in how others treated her.
She remembered how classmates and their families began distancing themselves. Invitations to homes after school became rare, and parents discouraged their children from engaging too closely with her. This social exclusion only compounded the emotional confusion she was already experiencing at home.
"I was in the first standard, and what started happening was there were families who didn’t want to associate with what was happening in our lives. They didn’t want their children to come into our house, and be part of any friction.." she revealed.
Public Figures And Private Pain
What made the situation even more difficult for Anshula was the intense media attention. Both Boney Kapoor and Sridevi were major public figures, and their relationship became national news. Anshula emphasized that dealing with such a deeply personal change under the glare of the public eye made healing even harder. Unlike children whose parents separate quietly, Anshula’s journey was on display. The overwhelming number of opinions, judgments, and commentary made it nearly impossible to find peace or privacy. She lacked a sense of emotional security, especially since her father had moved out and started a new family.
A Family Redefined
Boney Kapoor’s second marriage led to the formation of a blended family, but it came with emotional costs. He had fathered two children, Arjun and Anshula, during his first marriage with Mona. After meeting Sridevi, he chose to end his first marriage and married her in a private ceremony in 1996. Together, they had two daughters—Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. While the public largely focused on the glamour of the newly formed family, the emotional impact on Anshula, then a little girl struggling to understand the changes in her life, was rarely discussed.
Blaming Herself For Her Parents’ Separation
In a heartfelt conversation with Pinkvilla, Anshula opened up about the emotional weight she carried as a child. She admitted that she spent years believing that her very existence contributed to her parents' divorce. According to Anshula, her mind, at such a tender age, couldn’t comprehend the complexities of adult relationships.
She interpreted the split as a direct result of her own inadequacies. When her half-sister, Janhvi Kapoor, was born from Boney’s second marriage to actress Sridevi, Anshula’s guilt deepened. She felt as if she was the problem that had driven her parents apart, while Janhvi’s arrival symbolized something whole and unbroken.
"I was about a little bit under 6 years old when that happened. I internalised it to be like 'Oh my parents separated because something is wrong in me'. As a 6 year old I thought that before I came into their lives everything was hunky dory. I came into their lives, and now suddenly they do not belong together anymore. Maybe I was not a good enough daughter, and that became more apparent after Jaanu was born because I was like maybe something was wrong with me.." she shared.
Navigating Social Rejection At School
Anshula’s emotional struggle wasn’t limited to her home. In a conversation with journalist Nayandeep Rakshit, she recalled being ostracized at school in the wake of her father's high-profile remarriage. During the 1990s in India, separation and remarriage were still considered taboo, especially among celebrities. After Boney Kapoor married Sridevi in 1996—following his divorce from Mona—Anshula noticed a stark shift in how others treated her.
She remembered how classmates and their families began distancing themselves. Invitations to homes after school became rare, and parents discouraged their children from engaging too closely with her. This social exclusion only compounded the emotional confusion she was already experiencing at home.
"I was in the first standard, and what started happening was there were families who didn’t want to associate with what was happening in our lives. They didn’t want their children to come into our house, and be part of any friction.." she revealed.
Public Figures And Private Pain
What made the situation even more difficult for Anshula was the intense media attention. Both Boney Kapoor and Sridevi were major public figures, and their relationship became national news. Anshula emphasized that dealing with such a deeply personal change under the glare of the public eye made healing even harder. Unlike children whose parents separate quietly, Anshula’s journey was on display. The overwhelming number of opinions, judgments, and commentary made it nearly impossible to find peace or privacy. She lacked a sense of emotional security, especially since her father had moved out and started a new family.
A Family Redefined
Boney Kapoor’s second marriage led to the formation of a blended family, but it came with emotional costs. He had fathered two children, Arjun and Anshula, during his first marriage with Mona. After meeting Sridevi, he chose to end his first marriage and married her in a private ceremony in 1996. Together, they had two daughters—Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. While the public largely focused on the glamour of the newly formed family, the emotional impact on Anshula, then a little girl struggling to understand the changes in her life, was rarely discussed.
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