Neetu Kapoor reveals she bought her first Mercedes, five properties by 15

Veteran Bollywood actor Neetu Kapoor has revealed that she had bought her first Mercedes and several properties by the age of 15, having already built a successful career as a child artist.

In a recent conversation with Curly Tales, Neetu recalled that she began acting at the age of five and had appeared in around 10 to 12 films as a child. By the time she was 21, she had featured in approximately 100 films.

“I had bought 4-5 properties by the age of 15, and I had my own Mercedes. Can you believe that? I was in 8th standard, and after that, offers started coming, and I never went back to school,” she said.

Neetu also recalled learning dance from actor Vyjayanthimala and said her early experience in front of the camera helped her overcome any shyness about acting.

She made her film debut as a child artist in the 1966 film Suraj, starring Vyjayanthimala. She later appeared in Do Kaaliyan, in which she played a double role. After taking a break from films between the ages of 11 and 13, she returned to acting at 14.

“From 14 to 21, I did around 70 movies,” she said.

Neetu said leaving the film industry after her marriage at 21 was an easy decision, as she had already spent much of her childhood and youth working. She recalled often working three shifts a day, starting at 7am and moving between different film sets. The demanding schedule left her exhausted and gave her little time to make friends.

After marrying actor Rishi Kapoor in 1980, she stepped away from acting to focus on raising their children, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Ranbir Kapoor. Riddhima was born when Neetu was 21, while Ranbir arrived two years later.

Neetu made her debut as a leading actor opposite Randhir Kapoor in Rickshawala, a remake of the Tamil film Rickshawkaran. She also gained attention for her appearance in the song Lekar Hum Deewana Dil from Nasir Hussain's Yaadon Ki Baaraat.

Her other notable films include Deewaar, Khel Khel Mein, Kabhi Kabhie and Amar Akbar Anthony. She frequently appeared alongside Rishi Kapoor during their careers.

Her last film before retiring was Ganga Meri Maa, released in 1983. After a 25-year break, she returned to the screen with a cameo in Imtiaz Ali's 2009 film Love Aaj Kal. She subsequently appeared in Do Dooni Chaar, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Besharam and Jugjugg Jeeyo. 

Her most recent film is Dadi Ki Shaadi.