The tragic death of industrialist Sunjay Kapur has quickly faded from the public discourse, replaced by a sensational and escalating conflict over his colossal ₹30,000 crore estate. The core of the dispute pits his third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, against his children with actress Karisma Kapoor, Samaira and Kiaan Kapur, who have moved to the Delhi High Court to claim their rightful inheritance.
Amidst this high-stakes legal battle, Sunjay Kapur’s sister, Mandhira Kapur Smith, has made startling claims that add a new layer of personal drama, accusing Priya Sachdev of being the reason her brother and Karisma never reconciled their marriage.
Accusations of Interference in Karisma and Sunjay’s Marriage
In a candid interview with entertainment journalist Vickey Lalwani, Mandhira Kapur Smith alleged that Priya actively pursued her brother while he was still attempting to save his marriage with Karisma.
“Yes, she used to message him constantly when he was with Lolo [Karisma Kapoor], and I know this for a fact,” Mandhira stated. She framed her brother’s actions as a momentary weakness, explaining: “It’s as simple as men are men. He was in a marriage, working on it, trying to fix it. He was not in the most stable place to say, ‘Hey, I’m not interested.’ “
Mandhira was highly critical of Priya Sachdev’s conduct, especially as a woman who had also gone through a divorce. “As a woman, when someone has had a child and another child, and you’ve also just gotten divorced, you know how painful it is,” she questioned. “Then how and why would you come and break another family? What kind of upbringing is this? What kind of woman is that?”.
‘The Marriage Would Have Worked Out’
According to Mandhira, the family, particularly her father, was actively encouraging Sunjay and Karisma to work through their differences. She firmly believes that their reconciliation efforts would have succeeded if Priya had not intervened.
“There was a lot that happened that wasn’t nice, but my father wanted them to work on it. Sanjay was going back and forth,” she revealed, citing the birth of their second child, Kiaan, as evidence of their commitment. “They had a second kid — that doesn’t happen out of thin air. It happens when you’re working on a marriage. Had he been left alone, it would have worked out,” she insisted.
Priya Sachdev’s Counter-Narrative
Priya Sachdev, however, has maintained a significantly different account of how her relationship with the late industrialist began. In her previous interview on the YouTube channel Kin and Kindness, she asserted that their connection was a matter of friendship that blossomed into marriage only after Sunjay’s official divorce from Karisma. “We became friends, and our friendship eventually led to our marriage after his divorce from Karisma,” Priya stated.
The conflict now extends beyond personal claims, fueling the dramatic inheritance lawsuit that continues to bring the late industrialist’s private life into the public sphere.