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Known as the mother of Karisma and Kareena Kapoor today, Babita is virtually the matriarch of the family despite marrying in Kapoors, considered the first family of films at that time. Not only does Babs rule with an iron hand, influencing the decisions of both her daughters. Against the wishes of her estranged husband Randhir Kapoor and family elders, she pushed Karisma in films and paved the way for Kareena’s entry. Thanks to her Kareena walked out of Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Na Pyar Hai to make a debut along with Abhishek in Refugee and again, it was her influence that broke Karisma’s engagement with Abhishek Kapoor.
Babita was to Sadhana what Rani Mukherjee is to Kajol: cousins. Sadhna and Babita were compared soon as Babita arrived on the scene. Sadhana, obviously, was better-looking and more talented. Nevertheless, Babita made a niche for herself.
The `poor man's Sadhana` became a success when she co-starred with Jeetendra in the James Bond type 'Farz'.
Babita was the answer to the need of the time, when films were light romances. Prakash Mehra had just started directing and Babita fitted into 'Hasina Maan Jaayegi' with as much ease as in 'Dus Lakh' and 'Baharon ke Sapne', 'Pehchan' and 'Tumse Achha Kaun Hai'. The high point of the Sindhan was her relationship with Randhir Kapoor and her marriage into the Kapoor khandaan.
But that came after Randhir made 'Kal Aaj aur Kal'. Babita played the bahu of the reel-life family where the grandfather was Prithviraj, father Raj and son Randhir Kapoor. In the film she mistakes Prithviraj for a gardener, and in real life, the older generation of Kapoors simply didn't want her as a daughter-in-law. Kapoors insisted on her retirement from films. And Babita happily agreed. Whether she could have become more successful or not is a moot point. But her marriage is not. They live separately though for the sake of façade, necessary for Kapoors and for sake of Karisma and Kareena, Randhir and Babita do make together appearances.
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