Kapur vs Kapoor vs Kapur: Characters in Sunjay Kapur’s Rs 30,000 crore family drama

The legal wrangle gained renewed attention when Karisma Kapoor’s children approached the Delhi High Court, accusing their stepmother of forging a will dated March 21, allegedly aimed at excluding them from their rightful inheritance

Business tycoon Sunjay Kapur, the former husband of actress Karisma Kapoor, passed away on June 12 after suffering a heart attack during a polo match in England. Following his sudden demise, a bitter legal battle over his sprawling Rs 30,000-crore estate has come into the spotlight, intensifying by the day. The dispute involves his widow, Priya Sachdev, his ex-wife Karisma Kapoor, and his four children.

The legal wrangle gained renewed attention when Karisma Kapoor’s children approached the Delhi High Court, accusing their stepmother of forging a will dated March 21, allegedly aimed at excluding them from their rightful inheritance.

Here’s a closer look at the children at the heart of the inheritance conflict:

Samaira Kapoor

Sunjay and Karisma welcomed their daughter Samaira in 2005. She completed her schooling at the American School of Bombay and is currently pursuing her undergraduate studies at Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA.

Kiaan Kapoor

The couple’s son, Kiaan, born in 2011, is 15 years old and studies in Mumbai. Specific details of his school remain private. Both Samaira and Kiaan live with Karisma and occasionally appear in public events. After Karisma and Sunjay’s divorce in 2016, he gifted bonds worth Rs 14 crore to the two children and ensured a monthly allowance of Rs 10 lakh each.

Safira Kapur

Safira is Priya Sachdev’s daughter from her previous marriage to Vikram Chatwal and was born in 2007. After Priya’s divorce in 2011, Sunjay legally adopted Safira under Indian law. She currently studies at Marlborough College in the UK and has shown an interest in international relations and geopolitics. Following Sunjay Kapur’s death, Safira updated her social media surname from Chatwal to Kapur, sparking speculation about her claim to Sunjay’s estate. While she is not entitled to her biological father’s property, her rights as an adopted child of Sunjay remain unclear.

Azarias Kapur

Sunjay and Priya’s biological son, Azarias, was born in 2018. Being Priya’s child with Sunjay and born during their marriage, Azarias is a direct legal heir.

Rani Kapur

Rani Kapur, mother of the late Sunjay Kapur, is one of the key litigants in the ongoing succession dispute over his estate, currently being heard in the Delhi High Court. The hearing on Wednesday saw all parties presenting their arguments.

Kiaan and Samaira Kapoor, Sunjay's children with Karisma Kapoor, maintain that they are fighting for their rightful share of their father's estate. Priya Sachdev, Sunjay's widow, contends that the will has already accounted for them.

Rani Kapur, however, has raised serious allegations against Priya, claiming that she was deliberately excluded from her son's estate and that there are plans to sell the assets.

Describing the process as "unholy," Rani Kapur's counsel, senior advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, said, "Today, I have nothing. I have written at least 15 emails asking about the will and the documents-none have been shared. I have been told my emails were compromised. There is something incredibly unholy going on. Assets worth Rs 10,000 crore should have been mine. I am 80 years old. Everything has gone into a trust with vested interests, and I am left with nothing. Ms Sachdev comes in, and within three months of her marriage, everything disappears. My son today leaves me without even a roof over my head."

The counsel further alleged that the estate's assets are being sold, adding urgency to the legal proceedings.

Sunjay Kapur’s wealth and assets

At the time of his death, Sunjay Kapur’s net worth was estimated at $1.2 billion (approximately Rs 10,300 crore), according to Forbes. His peak wealth had reached $1.6 billion (around Rs 13,000 crore) in 2022–2024.

He was the sole beneficiary of the RK Family Trust, which holds the promoter stake in Sona Comstar through Aureus Investments Pvt Ltd. Overall, his estate is estimated at Rs 30,000 crore. During asset division, Karisma was also granted ownership of a house that originally belonged to Sunjay’s father.

Sanjay and Karisma’s divorce

Sunjay married Karisma in 2003, and the couple had two children: Samaira (2005) and Kiaan (2011). They filed for divorce in 2014, which was finalized in 2016. Sunjay then married Priya Sachdev in 2017. Prior to his marriage with Karisma, Sunjay had been married to fashion designer and socialite Nandita Mahtani.

After the petition by Karisma’s children, the court has directed Priya Sachdev to disclose all movable and immovable assets owned by Sunjay Kapur as of June 12, 2025. The next hearing is scheduled for October 9.