Did Money Really End Abhishek and Karisma’s Engagement?
News Desk
Islamabad: More than 22 years after Abhishek Bachchan and Karisma Kapoor’s high-profile engagement ended, fresh claims have once again revived one of Bollywood’s biggest unanswered questions. Was the split caused by financial disagreements, family pressure, or something else entirely?
At the height of their romance, Abhishek Bachchan and Karisma Kapoor were among Bollywood’s most admired couples. Their engagement in October 2002 was celebrated across the industry, making its abrupt end just three months later, in January 2003, all the more surprising. Despite widespread speculation, neither family ever publicly disclosed the reason behind the breakup.
The mystery has resurfaced after Naseem Mukri, daughter of late veteran actor Mukri, made new claims during a recent podcast interview.
According to Mukri, Karisma Kapoor’s mother, Babita, had reservations about the relationship from the outset. He alleged that because Karisma was already an established Bollywood star while Abhishek’s acting career was still in its early stages, Babita sought financial assurances before agreeing to the marriage.
Mukri claimed that Babita wanted Abhishek to transfer a substantial sum of money to Karisma before the wedding and also proposed a prenuptial agreement to safeguard her daughter’s financial future. According to him, the Bachchan family rejected these conditions, leading to disagreements that ultimately resulted in the engagement being called off.
He further claimed that although Karisma deeply loved Abhishek, she chose not to go against her mother’s wishes. Mukri alleged that Babita had a strong influence over Karisma’s personal decisions, while Kareena Kapoor later adopted a more independent approach.
It is important to note that these allegations have not been independently verified, and neither the Bachchan family nor the Kapoor family has commented publicly on Mukri’s claims.
Filmmaker Sunil Darshan, who directed ‘Haan… Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya’, had earlier shared a different perspective on the relationship. According to him, Abhishek and Karisma shared genuine affection, but external pressures and circumstances—not a lack of love—eventually drove them apart.
After the engagement ended, both stars moved on with their lives. Karisma Kapoor later married Delhi-based businessman Sanjay Kapoor, while Abhishek Bachchan married actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
More than two decades later, the true reason behind one of Bollywood’s most talked-about broken engagements remains officially unknown. However, every fresh claim continues to reignite public curiosity, keeping the story alive in the minds of fans.
