Sunjay Kapur’s family battle has taken a dramatic new turn, with his sister Mandhira Kapur stepping forward to defend both her late brother and her ‘bestie’ Karisma Kapoor. This comes only days after the Delhi High Court urged everyone involved in the will dispute to not turn the situation melodramatic. But outside the courtroom, the tension has only grown.
Sunjay Kapur’s sister Mandira Kapur Smith defends her late brother
Speaking on the InControversial Podcast, late Sunjay Kapur’s sister Mandhira Kapur Smith said she had come across many comments calling her brother a womaniser, and she refused to let those claims pass.Mandhira said, “I’m reading all these comments, ‘Sanjay was a womanizer.’ Firstly, he’s gone. Respect him. Secondly, everybody including Priya knew what he was. He’s never hidden it. So, all of you, get off the conversation. He was never quiet about who he was and what he was.”
Mandira rejects talk of mistreating Karisma Kapoor
Mandhira denied all claims that Sunjay treated Karisma Kapoor badly during their marriage from 2003 to 2016. She stressed that while the divorce was difficult, that did not mean Sunjay was cruel or abusive. Mandhira explained, “He didn’t treat Lolo badly. Yes, they had a bad divorce. All divorces are bad. Show me one divorce that’s not, unless both are having affairs and they leave amicably. Even I had a bad divorce.”Mandhira further continued, “So, please let’s not go to the rubbish people want to talk and malign others. Hold it together, be human, and stand by what’s right. Stop maligning the kids, the ex-wife, the mother, and the sisters. Put yourself in my shoes and tell me what you’d do. It’s so easy to point fingers. It’s so tough to take a stand.”
Mandhira questions Priya Kapur ’s blended family claim
Mandhira then challenged Priya Kapur’s statement that they were a blended family. She insisted that this idea was false and never part of their reality. “My mother’s always been in touch with her grandkids. I’ve always been in touch with them,” she said.She also shared her close bond with Karisma, “Lolo was my best friend! She was the best man at my wedding. Lolo and my brother got together on my honeymoon. We’ve always been a family. Her (Priya’s) blended family rubbish has come in later.”Mandhira added that she could not even watch Priya’s podcast. “Where’s the blended family now? Suddenly, it’s disappeared. My mother doesn’t have a roof over her head. Honestly, they should pull down that podcast. Or she should get it removed through her PR.”
Mandhira regrets supporting Priya and Sunjay’s marriage
Mandhira admitted she regretted encouraging her father to accept Priya as Sunjay’s wife. She believes she misjudged Priya’s behaviour before and after the marriage, “What she showed she was before her marriage with my brother has completely changed after the marriage. I’m the one who said to my dad, ‘If he’s happy, let it be.’ I feel like a fool to have done that.”
Sister highlights concerns about family legacy
Mandhira also spoke about her late father’s priorities and said he worked his entire life to support his own family first. According to her, he never accepted Priya, “My father worked a lifetime to look after my family, my sister and her family, my brother and his family, and first, my mother. Not Priya, whom he couldn’t stand, whom he never met, whom he didn’t want to be a part of our family. If she thinks she can take all this away, I’m going to fight this till the end. I’ll not let her take my father’s legacy away.”
Mandhira speaks on stepchildren and inheritance
The issue of inheritance was another point Mandhira addressed firmly. She said that Priya’s daughter Safira would always remain a stepchild and that Karisma’s children had a stronger claim. She went on to say, “They’ll always remain his stepchildren. Let’s call it what they are. Nobody is denying that my brother didn’t love her. We treated her like family. Don’t take over the family when Samaira is there.”
What is the legal battle about?
Sunjay Kapur passed away in June this year. After his demise, Karisma Kapoor’s children, Samaira and Kiaan, began a legal challenge in the Delhi High Court against their late father’s purported will.In the latest development, as reported by PTI, on 11 November 2025, they filed an application before the Joint Registrar requesting permission to inspect the will. However, Priya Kapur and co-defendant Shraddha Suri Marwah opposed this request. Registrar (Judicial) Gagandeep Jindal then issued notices to them, asking them to file their replies within three weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for 16 December.
