Veteran actress Kiran Juneja, known for her iconic roles in television classics like Buniyaad and Mahabharat, has long been admired for her performances, including her role in Dibakar Banerjee’s acclaimed debut film Khosla Ka Ghosla. Off-screen, Kiran also made headlines for her marriage to celebrated filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, best known for directing the cult classic Sholay.
Their union attracted attention at the time due to a significant age gap and the fact that it was Sippy’s second marriage. Recently, in an interview with Lehren Retro, Kiran candidly addressed those early controversies and opened up about the foundation of their relationship.
“See, marriage would have bothered me if I was the home breaker, but I already knew their situation, so it’s not like I broke their house. So I was okay with that, and that was never the worry. And to tell you, I have always gotten better along with older people somehow, men or women. Maybe I was too mature at my age. But boys of my age, I could never tune with them mentally. So yes, he was much older, but that didn’t bother me, neither did it affect anything.”
‘I liked Ramesh Sippy for the human being he was’
Ramesh Sippy with his wife Kiran Juneja. (Express archive photo)
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Reflecting on what drew her to Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Juneja emphasized that it was his character that stood out the most. “His personality. I saw a man who was so huge and big, but not for a minute, not with anybody, even the spot boys on the set would he raise his voice or misbehave. And this was commendable, because people change with success. Even if one of their films become a hit, they behave as if they have arrived. But here was a man who had given hit after hit, but so humble, so proper. I mean, if ladies would come, he would stand. So I liked him for the human being he was.”
Kiran Juneja and Ramesh Sippy tied the knot in 1991, after the filmmaker parted ways with his first wife, Geeta Sippy.
