Veteran actor, Jeetendra had begun his Bollywood journey in 1959 and since then, there has been no looking back for him. Be it the flirtatious Casanova or an ideal family guy, a duty-bound cop or an angry action hero seeking vengeance, Jeetendra had never failed to connect with his audience and his energetic roles made him everyone’s favourite. Running around the trees and chasing the pretty damsels, Jeetendra had performed his every role with ease. (Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ekta Kaul Reveals Her Hubby Sumeet Vyas' Reaction When She'd Told Him About Her Pregnancy)
Married to his fan, Shobha Kapoor, who was an air-hostess in British Airways, Jeetendra had decided on forever with her in 1974. Jeetendra and Shobha are proud parents of Ekta Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor, and are super-proud grandparents of Laksshya Kapoor (born to Tusshar via IVF) and Ravie Kapoor (born to Ekta through surrogacy). And as Jeetendra turned 78 on April 7, 2020, Ekta and Tusshar posted beautiful videos to wish their father.
On April 7, 2020, Jeetendra turned 78, his children, Ekta Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor posted videos, which has unseen professional and personal pictures of him. While Ekta captioned her video as “Happie bday papa! Ur d most positive person I know! May u stay happy n have long joyous life !u r a role model for all of us! Loveeee uuuu”, Tusshar wrote, “Happy birthday Papa! Thank you for all the wishes on Instagram from his fans, well wishers & the Bollywood sites! Cheers.”
On Jeetendra 77th birthday, Ekta Kapoor had hosted a bash for him at their residence and had shared a video of his dance with wife, Shobha Kapoor. Sharing a video of a romantic dance performance by Jeetendra and Shobha on Namak Halaal song, Jawani Jan-E-Man, Ekta had written, “Happie bday!! JAI MATA DI.... parents r GODS ON EARTH ! May u live my years too ! Happie bday papa.” (Also Read: Jay Bhanushali's Daughter, Tara Jay Bhanushali Finally Learns To Speak 'Papa', Video Inside)
When in January 2019, Ekta Kapoor had welcomed a baby boy via surrogacy and had named him, Ravie Kapoor after her father, Jeetendra a.k.a. Ravi Kapoor, the elated grandfather had expressed his feelings in an interview with the Mid-Day. The proud grandfather of two had stated, “Shobha and I were over the moon when we heard it first. We are looking forward to him coming home. Our family makes daily rounds of the suburban hospital where the baby is currently under supervision. My family says he (Ravie) looks just like me, but then, a child's looks keep changing every day. It's tough to say who he will resemble in the future. Now, I have Laksshya and Ravie — they are the apple of my eye. I can die peacefully now as both my babies have their own babies.”
Ekta Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor had broken the stereotypical norms to welcome a baby in their lives and had opted for IVF and surrogacy to become single parents. When The Indian Express had asked Jeetendra on his kids not opting for marriage, he had stated, "For every father their kids are good. I think we as fathers have to say good things about our children or else they will beat us, but as a father you do have lot of worries for your children and it will remain till I die. Today the time is not of arranged marriage, they have to find their partners. But they both are busy with their work so much that they don't have time to think about it (marriage). I can't do anything they will only have to do.”
To Firstpost, Jeetendra had said that it doesn’t matter if one is married or single, what matters is to be happy in life. He had elaborated, "I believe one must be happy in life. (It doesn't matter) whether you are married or single. For me, the idea was that Tusshar and Ekta should have someone to come back home to. A baby is the biggest blessing and responsibility to have. With responsibility comes to passion, love, happiness and a purpose in life. There cannot be a bigger responsibility than taking care of a baby." (Also Read: Karan Johar's Kids' Closet Tales, Roohi Plays Guitar, While Yash Hides In Karan's Closet)
Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Jeetendra!
