Ishaan Khatter recently spoke about his mother Neelima Azeem's journey, highlighting how she sacrificed her dreams to raise her sons, Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan, despite their 15-year age gap. Neelima, a trained dancer, gave up her career to provide for her children.
Ishaan Khatter Recalls Neelima Azeem's Journey as a Dancer
In an interview with Lilly Singh, Ishaan shared that his mother began dancing professionally at age 9 under the tutelage of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. Her talent was so extraordinary that by age 14, her picture appeared on a postage stamp, a significant achievement. Ishaan noted that growing up, he saw his mother fulfill the roles of both parents while managing everything alone. He said, "In many ways, I saw my mother double up throughout my childhood. I also grew up with an elder brother who is 15 years older than me, so he was, in many ways, a parental figure. It is a very interesting relationship again, where we are more like pals than brothers, but there will always be a line of respect. He has changed my diapers, so every argument ends with, ‘I am older than you.’"
Ishaan Khatter on Having Neelima Azeem as a Mother
Neelima had Shahid at age 21 with her first husband Pankaj Kapur, and Ishaan at age 36 with her second husband Rajesh Khatter. Ishaan described his mother's parenting style: "Just watching mom navigate every phase of her life, trying to do her best and also being a very liberal kind of parent where… She had me when she was about 36, she had my brother when she was 21-22, so they were like friends. She had me a little later, but she still maintained that vibe and friendship with me where I felt I could share anything with her and I didn't have to hesitate. And that I think has contributed to the person I became in many ways. I am just glad I had a parent I didn't need to hide from or lie to."
Ishaan Khatter Opens Up About Neelima Azeem's Sacrifices
Ishaan also discussed the many sacrifices his mother made for her children, stating, "Anything that’s worth it requires sacrifice but the way in which working women who are also parents give those parts of themselves, like you have to be a superwoman. And I have seen her make those choices. Whether it’s taking a job that gives more consistent pay but is not what you see yourself doing, or creatively excites you. Or taking that job just to be able to run the house and have that security. She has done that for the better part of one’s childhood, and you have seen that."
Neelima Azeem Always Put Motherhood Before Her Artistic Dreams
He added that despite her identity as an artist being deeply important to her, she always prioritized motherhood. "The artiste in her is a big part of who she is, and she has put that second to the mother in her often, and I have seen that," he said.
More About Ishaan Khatter's Work
On the film front, Ishaan Khatter recently starred in the critically acclaimed 'Homebound', which served as India's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards. He has also commenced shooting for his next theatrical outing, a crime-thriller titled 'Jugaadu' directed by Palash Vaswani. Additionally, Khatter will reprise his role in 'The Royals' Season 2.
