Neelima Azeem says ‘massive distance’ led to divorce with Pankaj Kapur: 'I have no regrets because I’ve Shahid, Ishaan'

Neelima Azeem discussed her separation from Pankaj Kapur, revealing that the massive distance between them was the primary factor leading to the divorce.

Former actor and classical dancer Neelima Azeem divorced actor Pankaj Kapur in 1984, when Shahid Kapoor was just three years old. Forty years later, Neelima has spoken about the reasons behind their separation and revealed that she has no regrets, as she has her children, Shahid and Ishaan Khatter, by her side.

Neelima Azeem with her sons Ishaan Khatter and Shahid Kapoor.

Neelima Azeem on her separation from Pankaj Kapur

In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Neelima opened up about her separation from Pankaj and said, “I just feel that, unfortunately, it was meant to be. Nobody gets married to separate, right? They get married to stay together forever… But I think, maybe, we were very different people. Also, marriage is not just about what anybody did or what happened. I think it’s about where you are in your mind and where you are in your life — which phase you are in. And if those vibrations don’t have the same frequency, I just feel that it doesn’t sit well. I think there was a very massive distance, since he was in Mumbai and I was in Delhi.”

Neelima explained that she felt it may not have been the right decision for Pankaj to move to Mumbai without her and later without Shahid. However, she pointed out that an artist is often completely absorbed in creative pursuits, dreams and ambitions, which can become all-consuming. She shared that it did not make financial sense at the time for the entire family to relocate to Mumbai together, and so she encouraged Pankaj to move ahead, acknowledging his talent and supporting his efforts to build a career in Mumbai, while she stayed back in Delhi.

Despite everything, Neelima expressed that she has no regrets and said, “So I think it was years of distancing that made us go our own ways. I was just too young. So I think it was just too much for my very young shoulders to handle… If I look at it from every angle, I always say this, and I don’t know how many people understand it, but I have no regrets because I have Shahid. And the same goes for Ishaan. So I have no regrets.”

Neelima Azeem and Pankaj Kapur’s marriage

Neelima and Pankaj tied the knot in 1975 and welcomed their son, Shahid Kapoor, in 1981. However, after nine years of marriage, they parted ways in 1984. Following the divorce, Pankaj married actor Supriya Pathak, with whom he has been happily married for over three decades. The couple have two children, Sanah Kapur and Ruhaan Kapur. Neelima later married actor Rajesh Khattar in 1990, but their marriage ended in 2001. The former couple share a son, actor Ishaan Khatter.