The Kapoor family’s love for food has long been a part of Bollywood folklore — but this time, it’s making headlines again. Actor and filmmaker Kunal Kapoor, son of late Shashi Kapoor and uncle to Ranbir Kapoor, has stirred up the internet with his candid comments about vegetarians, reigniting the ongoing veg vs non-veg debate.
“I think vegetarians are racist…”
In a recent conversation with Pooja Bhatt on her podcast, Kunal admitted that he looks at vegetarians “with disdain.” He explained that while he offers vegetarian food to guests at his home, he’s often denied non-vegetarian dishes when visiting vegetarians — something he finds unfair.
“I think vegetarians are racist,” said Kunal during the chat. Pooja, who is Alia Bhatt’s elder sister, responded with laughter and asked, “So, I’m a racist?” to which Kunal replied, “Ya, you are because you deny me being a non-vegetarian. On my table, you’ll have vegetarian food and non-vegetarian food. But when I go to a vegetarian house, he won’t give me non-vegetarian food. But in my house, I’ll treat him. I’ll give him veg and non-veg food.”
As Pooja laughed at his remarks, Kunal’s comments quickly began circulating online, with many pointing out how food debates seem to follow the Kapoor family — especially after Ranbir Kapoor’s recent controversy surrounding his dietary habits.
Ranbir Kapoor’s run-in with vegetarianism
Earlier this year, Ranbir Kapoor had found himself in a similar spotlight after reports claimed he had given up non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and smoking to prepare for his role as Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana. However, a viral clip from the Netflix documentary Dining with the Kapoors showed him enjoying fish curry, mutton, and paaya with his family — prompting online backlash.
One viral post read, “Ranbir Kapoor’s PR team claimed he gave up non vegetarian food out of respect for playing Lord Ram in the Ramayana movie but he is seen enjoying fish curry, mutton, and paya with his family. Ranbir Kapoor has the most effective PR in Bollywood.”
The Kapoor clan’s culinary reputation goes back generations. Their fondness for food has been well-documented — most recently in Dining with the Kapoors, produced by Kunal’s nephew Armaan Jain. In an interview with SCREEN previously, Armaan even shared quirky details about the family’s dining habits, including cousins Karisma and Kareena Kapoor’s food preferences.
Kunal Kapoor’s career
Kunal, meanwhile, has had a long and varied career, starting from his 1972 debut in Siddhartha. After leaving Bollywood to focus on ad filmmaking, he returned to acting with Singh Is Bliing (2015) and was last seen in Panipat (2019). His son, Zahan Kapoor, is now carrying the family’s legacy forward with projects like Black Warrant on Netflix.