Filmmaker Suneel Darshan has opened up about one of Bollywood’s most talked-about relationships — Karisma Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan’s engagement that never turned into marriage. Looking back at those years, Darshan revealed that he was actually present at Karisma’s home around the time the engagement was called off.
Karisma and Abhishek’s relationship had become a major talking point in the late 1990s and early 2000s. According to Darshan, their bond had already begun before they worked together on Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, and it grew stronger while they were associated with the film.
Their relationship grew during their films
Suneel Darshan recalled that by the time he planned Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya, Karisma and Abhishek had already decided to get married.
“Their relationship had started even before Ek Rishtaa began and it kept growing deeper,” Darshan said, recalling the close bond the two shared at the time.
He also pointed out the irony surrounding their professional association. Despite their relationship and plans to marry, Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya became the only film in which the two were destined to appear together.
‘I was at Karisma’s house when the engagement was called off’
The filmmaker revealed that he happened to be at Karisma’s home when the engagement was called off. He described the development as unfortunate but made it clear that he did not want to point fingers at either family.
“Coincidentally, I was at Karisma’s house when the engagement was called off. It’s unfortunate that the wedding was called off,” he recalled.
The filmmaker also remembered how quickly things changed afterwards. Karisma travelled to Bangkok for New Year celebrations, and Darshan said he was surprised when he subsequently heard that she was going to marry businessman Sunjay Kapur.
“I never understood that decision,” he admitted.
Suneel Darshan says there is no point blaming anyone
Over the years, several theories and speculations have surrounded Karisma and Abhishek’s failed relationship. Different names from both families have often been mentioned whenever the story has resurfaced.
However, Darshan believes it is unfair to blame any one person for the breakup.
“People blame Babita ji, Jaya ji, Karisma or Abhishek, but I think these things should be left to destiny,” he said.
According to the filmmaker, relationships are complicated and every couple has a different journey. He believes love does not follow a fixed path and that what happens in one relationship cannot always be explained from the outside.
A relationship remembered years later
Karisma eventually married Sunjay Kapur in 2003, and they later welcomed two children before separating. Abhishek, meanwhile, went on to marry Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in 2007.
While both actors moved forward with their respective lives, their relationship remains a memorable chapter in Bollywood history. Suneel Darshan’s latest recollection offers another glimpse into that period, while also highlighting how difficult it can be to understand the personal choices behind a relationship from the outside.
For Darshan, the story ultimately comes down to destiny. Despite being close enough to witness some of those moments, he maintains that only the people involved truly know what happened between them.
