Kiran Juneja says that despite delivering back-to-back hits, Ramesh Sippy remained humble and never even raised his voice in front of spot boys on the sets.
Veteran actress Kiran Juneja, known for her iconic roles in television serials such as Buniyaad and Mahabharat, has long been praised for her acting, including her role in Dibakar Banerjee’s acclaimed debut film ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’. Behind the scenes, Kiran also made headlines for her marriage to noted filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, best known as the director of the cult classic ‘Sholay’.
Their marriage had attracted attention at the time due to the huge age gap and it being Sippy’s second marriage. Recently, in an interview with Lehran Retro, Kiran opened up on those initial conflicts and spoke openly about the foundation of their relationship.
“See, if I was a home breaker, marriage would have bothered me, but I knew their situation beforehand, so it’s not like I broke their home. So I had no problem with it, and it was never a concern. And let me tell you, I always get along better with elders, be it men or women, in some way or the other. Maybe I was too mature for my age. But with boys of my age, I could never mentally adjust. So yes, he was much older than me, but it didn’t bother me, nor did it affect me in any way.”
Revealing the reason for her attraction towards Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Juneja insisted that it was his character that was different. “His personality. I saw a man who was huge and imposing, but not for a minute, with anyone, even the spot boys on the set, did he raise his voice or misbehave. And that was commendable, because people change with success. Even if one of their films becomes a hit, they behave as if they have become successful. But here was a man who had given hits continuously, but was so humble, so graceful. I mean, if women came, he would stand up. That’s why I liked him as a human being.”
Kiran Juneja and Ramesh Sippy got married in 1991, after the filmmaker had separated from his first wife Geeta Sippy.
