“Kapoor family faced “tragic and difficult” months after Sunjay Kapur’s death, Saif Ali Khan stabbing,” says Armaan Jain

As Netflix India gears up to release Dining with the Kapoors, a documentary-style special celebrating the legendary Raj Kapoor’s love for food, creator Armaan Jain says the project arrives at an emotional moment for the family. This year marks Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary, but it has also brought significant turbulence for the Kapoors — from the death of Karisma Kapoor’s former husband Sunjay Kapur to the knife attack on Saif Ali Khan at the family home.

Speaking to Indian Express, Armaan said Raj Kapoor remains a steadying presence for the family even decades after his passing. “Raj Kapoor would eat, breathe, and sleep cinema. That was it for him,” he recalled, describing the filmmaker’s relentless devotion to his craft. “He would put everything on the line. The sacrifices would be so much that sometimes, he wouldn’t even have enough money in his pocket to make a movie.”

Armaan pointed to Mera Naam Joker as a defining example — a film far ahead of its time that resulted in one of the biggest financial setbacks of Raj Kapoor’s career. “Before he bounced back with Bobby, he’d lost pretty much everything, financially as well. But the one thing he didn’t give up was the roof over his wife and children’s heads, which is the Deonar bungalow.”

That resilience, Armaan said, continues to shape the family through periods of strain. Calling the Kapoors “an army” in times of crisis, he credited the foundation laid by Raj Kapoor and his wife Krishna Kapoor for the tight-knit structure the younger generations have inherited. “In times good and bad, the Kapoor family are very strong for each other. That started with the Raj Kapoor–Krishna Kapoor era, and I have seen that pass on to my mum,” he said. “With certain incidents recently and a lot of losses within our family, it’s been very tragic and difficult. But the best part — and the intent of making Dining with the Kapoors — is family being there for each other at all times. Bouncing back is completely part of our DNA. It’s a generational thing.”

Directed by Smriti Mundhra, known for The Romantics, Dining with the Kapoors explores the family’s long-standing bond with food while offering an intimate look at their generational traditions.

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