Ram Kapoor was an ‘absent father’, admits his kids didn’t know him for 10 years; calls wife Gautami ‘mother India’

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TV star Ram Kapoor and Gautami Kapoor in tv serial GHAR EK MANDIR. Express archive photo

‘Ram wasn’t there during my pregnancy’

She also reflected on how her pregnancy coincided with a turning point in Ram’s career. “Ram wasn’t there. When I was pregnant with Sia, Ram had his biggest career surge. It was like lakshmi had arrived. My pregnancy announcement changed Ram’s fate forever.”

Acknowledging Sia as his lucky charm, Ram said, “I got Kasamh Se. It wasn’t the biggest show on Zee or Balaji, but when Sia was born, the show went number one. That’s when things went crazy. After that, I never had to look back on television. Sia brought me all my luck—my wife has brought us none,” he joked. Gautami, meanwhile, said, “I took care of myself. Nobody took care of me.”

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Ram Kapoor says his children didn’t know him for 10 years

Recognising Gautami’s strength and sacrifice, Ram added, “The reason I am who I am is solely because of her. She took over the children and the house so amazingly that I didn’t have to worry about it for a single day. That’s why I could focus on my career for 15 long years and become what I have become. She is Mother India. She literally needs nobody. She does it all and won’t allow anyone to come close. Any successful man is successful because he has a very strong woman who has allowed him to be successful. Otherwise, it’s impossible.”

TV Star Ram Kapoor and Gautami Kapoor in tv serial GHAR EK MANDIR. Express archive photo

He elaborated on his hectic schedule: “I would go on a shoot on Sunday and come back on Wednesday. I slept in my vanity van, brushed in my van, and worked like crazy. I could do all that because she handled everything perfectly. I never had to worry about my child. That’s why I was absent. My children didn’t really know me for 10 years. I would have breakfast with them and leave, and return late at night. But whatever I was doing, I was doing for them.”

Gautami, however, credited Ram for giving her the confidence to run the household. “He never questioned me or interfered. Our roles were clearly defined—Ram handled the finances, and I took care of the kids and the home.” Ram joked about wanting a bigger family: “I wanted to have kids every year, at least four of them. Gautami wanted to stop at one. I forced her and told her I wanted another child. I kept pushing her.” Gautami smiled, adding, “And I am glad he did.”

‘Why did we have a second child?’

Recalling the challenges of motherhood, she said, “Once you raise a baby and return to normal life, it’s very difficult to start all over again, especially for a woman. Ram wasn’t there. It was very tough to bring up both my children because the age gap between them is very little. It was like hell. I used to curse him every single day. I would think, ‘Why did we have a second child?’ But two years later, I realised it was the best decision of our lives. We never regretted it after that.”

Reflecting on how their dynamic shifted after their son’s birth, Ram said, “I became a spot boy from being the king of the house. Earlier, she would cook for me and heat my meals. After our son was born, she would yell at me even if I made the smallest sound.” Gautami candidly admitted, “When my kids came, I forgot him completely. My children took over my life so entirely that I sidelined him somewhere. I do feel bad about that.” When asked if that hurt him, Ram dismissed the idea, saying, “I did the same because of my work. I was an absent father for 10 years.”