Arjun Kapoor Reflects on Life, Loss, and Independence: "My Past Is Very Heavy"

Arjun Kapoor, known for his candid conversations, recently shared deeply personal insights into his life during a chat on Raj Shamani’s podcast. The actor opened up about the misconceptions surrounding his journey, the emotional impact of his parents’ separation, and the profound loss of his mother, Mona Shourie.

“It was a tricky time. My past is very heavy. There is a lot of baggage in my past, there is a lot of trauma… I have led a life and I completely respect the fact that people that we’ve had it easy," Arjun said, addressing assumptions about his privileged life. He further added, “I never doubt how tough it is for somebody coming in from the outside and trying to make it into this profession. But why do you feel it is easy for me to live the life I’m living?"

Speaking about the loss of his mother in his early 20s, Arjun highlighted the depth of his pain. “Contextualise my life a bit, you have your parents and you still do. You can go home, maa ki god mein sar rakh ke so sakte ho (You can rest easy knowing your mother is there to take care of you), I can never do that, main apni maa ki god mein sar rakh ke nahi so sakta…”

Reflecting on his grief, he asked, “Should I envy you? Should I have negativity towards you for having a mother? You have something that I don’t have and will never have again. How much ever I pray for it, she’ll never be with me again. But have I ever seen you in a bad light or willed ill for you?"

The actor emphasized how his trauma has shaped him into an independent individual.

“I am an independent person. My father and mother supported me to whatever extent they could but financially, I became independent the day I started working. I have never taken anything from my father after I became an actor, till then whatever… I was 23-24… My first pay cheque was Ishaqzaade and my mother passed away without knowing my future was in this."

- Arjun Kapoor

Arjun expressed his pride in creating his own identity, saying, “After that, till today, I have never (asked for anything from my father) and he knows that and is proud of me for doing that. I want him to be proud of the identity I have created for myself. He is proud of the fact that I am an independent person and that I can take care of myself and my sister my mother also would be proud of exactly this."

Through his heartfelt words, Arjun Kapoor highlighted the strength and resilience required to navigate a life marked by personal loss and professional challenges.