Behind the glitz and glamour of Indian cinema's first female superstar lay a love story as dramatic and intense as any film she starred in. Sridevi, the ethereal icon with more than 300 films to her name, was a household name across India and beyond. But when it came to matters of the heart, her tale took a stunning turn — one that even involved six months of total silence with the man who would eventually become her husband.
The Proposal That Froze Everything
It was the late 1980s. Boney Kapoor, already a successful film producer and a married man with two children, found himself deeply smitten by the reclusive and brilliant Sridevi. However, when he finally mustered the courage to propose to her, the actress was anything but impressed.
“She was shocked,” Boney recalled in a candid interview with ABP News years later. “She asked me, ‘You’re married and have two kids — how can you even say this to me?’ And then… she just stopped speaking to me.” That silence lasted a full six months. Not a word. Not a glance.
For someone known for playing characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves, Sridevi in real life was reserved, introverted, and fiercely principled. The proposal from a married man, even one who was clearly devoted, deeply unsettled her.
From Silent Rejection to Subtle Reciprocation
So, how did the tide turn?
It wasn’t easy. It took years of quiet persistence, thoughtful gestures, and unwavering affection from Boney Kapoor before Sridevi even began to warm up to him. During the shooting of Mr. India, Kapoor left no stone unturned to make her feel special, from hiring three costume designers just for her to offering her an unprecedented ₹11 lakh fee (a crore in today's terms) when her mother quoted ₹10 lakh.
He was transparent with his then-wife, Mona Kapoor, about his feelings for Sridevi. His love didn’t rely on secrecy — it relied on honesty and intent.
The Turning Point
Over time, Sridevi began to notice his sincerity. He wasn’t just a producer trying to win over a superstar. He was a man completely and utterly in love; someone who respected her boundaries, her silence, and her strength.
As Boney revealed at the India Today Woman Summit in 2013, it wasn’t her stardom that swept him away; it was her innocence.
“She was not corrupted by artifice,” he said. “Her simplicity pulled me in each time we met. My obsession for her only grew.”
A Bond Forged in Defiance
In 1996, after nearly a decade of love, longing, and persistence, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor tied the knot. It was not without controversy. The media speculated endlessly, some even labeling Sridevi a ‘home wrecker’. She was said to have gotten pregnant before marriage — adding fuel to an already blazing fire of gossip.
But the couple stayed quiet. They didn’t explain or justify their decisions. Sridevi chose love on her terms. And in doing so, she stepped away from the spotlight, focusing instead on raising her daughters, Janhvi and Khushi, and creating a life away from the arc lights.
Their love story was unconventional. It had its share of pain, pauses, and public judgment. But it also had resilience, tenderness, and the kind of slow-burning loyalty that defied Bollywood’s fleeting romances. Sridevi may have stopped speaking to Boney Kapoor for six months, but when she finally did, it changed both their lives forever, and gave us one of the most talked-about love stories in Indian film history.
The Proposal That Froze Everything
It was the late 1980s. Boney Kapoor, already a successful film producer and a married man with two children, found himself deeply smitten by the reclusive and brilliant Sridevi. However, when he finally mustered the courage to propose to her, the actress was anything but impressed.
“She was shocked,” Boney recalled in a candid interview with ABP News years later. “She asked me, ‘You’re married and have two kids — how can you even say this to me?’ And then… she just stopped speaking to me.” That silence lasted a full six months. Not a word. Not a glance.
For someone known for playing characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves, Sridevi in real life was reserved, introverted, and fiercely principled. The proposal from a married man, even one who was clearly devoted, deeply unsettled her.
From Silent Rejection to Subtle Reciprocation
So, how did the tide turn?
It wasn’t easy. It took years of quiet persistence, thoughtful gestures, and unwavering affection from Boney Kapoor before Sridevi even began to warm up to him. During the shooting of Mr. India, Kapoor left no stone unturned to make her feel special, from hiring three costume designers just for her to offering her an unprecedented ₹11 lakh fee (a crore in today's terms) when her mother quoted ₹10 lakh.
He was transparent with his then-wife, Mona Kapoor, about his feelings for Sridevi. His love didn’t rely on secrecy — it relied on honesty and intent.
The Turning Point
Over time, Sridevi began to notice his sincerity. He wasn’t just a producer trying to win over a superstar. He was a man completely and utterly in love; someone who respected her boundaries, her silence, and her strength.
As Boney revealed at the India Today Woman Summit in 2013, it wasn’t her stardom that swept him away; it was her innocence.
“She was not corrupted by artifice,” he said. “Her simplicity pulled me in each time we met. My obsession for her only grew.”
A Bond Forged in Defiance
In 1996, after nearly a decade of love, longing, and persistence, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor tied the knot. It was not without controversy. The media speculated endlessly, some even labeling Sridevi a ‘home wrecker’. She was said to have gotten pregnant before marriage — adding fuel to an already blazing fire of gossip.
1997: Sridevi & Boney Kapoor first made an official announcement to the public & press that they had married on June 2, 1996 in Mumbai's Shirdi Saibaba Mandir & Sridevi is 7 months pregnant. Sridevi, BoneyKapoor with actor Vijayakumar & his wife Manjula at a press meet,Chennai pic.twitter.com/RvdpuV55UB
— Subhash Shirdhonkar (@4331Subhash) November 29, 2024
But the couple stayed quiet. They didn’t explain or justify their decisions. Sridevi chose love on her terms. And in doing so, she stepped away from the spotlight, focusing instead on raising her daughters, Janhvi and Khushi, and creating a life away from the arc lights.
Their love story was unconventional. It had its share of pain, pauses, and public judgment. But it also had resilience, tenderness, and the kind of slow-burning loyalty that defied Bollywood’s fleeting romances. Sridevi may have stopped speaking to Boney Kapoor for six months, but when she finally did, it changed both their lives forever, and gave us one of the most talked-about love stories in Indian film history.
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