Karisma Kapoor's decision to file for divorce from businessman Sanjay Kapur after nearly nine years of marriage was confirmed in 2014, ending a union that had been reported as troubled for several years and marking a significant moment for one of Hindi cinema's most recognized families.

Kapoor, the elder daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita, had stepped back from a successful film career after her marriage in 2003—a decision that generated considerable discussion at the time about the expectations placed on women in the industry. She had been one of Bollywood's leading actresses through the 1990s, winning National Awards and maintaining a commercially successful career across multiple genres.

The divorce filing cited mutual incompatibility and allegations that had circulated in Indian media for months before the formal legal action. Indian divorce law, which requires grounds for divorce rather than simply irretrievable breakdown in most personal law systems, makes the legal process more contentious than in jurisdictions where no-fault divorce is the norm.

The couple had two children. Custody arrangements and the welfare of the children became central to both the legal proceedings and the public discussion.

Karisma Kapoor's public handling of the situation—continuing to work, maintaining a visible presence, and refusing to retreat into silence—was noted by observers as emblematic of the changed expectations for women in Indian public life. A generation earlier, a high-profile divorce would have effectively ended an actress's career. The expectation that personal difficulty should produce professional disappearance had, not entirely but substantially, eroded.

The divorce was finalized several years later after protracted legal proceedings.