“Cousin hai tu meri!”
“She’s our niece, stupid!”
That’s Ranbir Kapoor and his sister Riddhima having an argument on camera about basic family relationships. On Netflix. In front of millions. While Navya Naveli Nanda sits there looking amused because this is apparently normal Kapoor family chaos.
The internet watched Dining With The Kapoors drop on November 21 expecting gorgeous food porn and nostalgic Bollywood stories. Instead, they got a masterclass in why Indian family trees are more complicated than advanced calculus. Ranbir insisting Navya is his cousin. Riddhima correcting him repeatedly. Navya calmly explaining she calls Riddhima “bua” which means aunt. And everyone at home frantically Googling “how is Navya Nanda related to Ranbir Kapoor” because nothing makes sense anymore.
But here’s what really happened. This wasn’t just a cute family moment. This was Netflix accidentally revealing that even Bollywood royalty can’t keep track of their own family relationships. That the Kapoor dynasty is so sprawling, so interconnected with other film families through marriages and alliances, that figuring out who’s whose cousin versus niece requires a flowchart.
And it gets better. The documentary, created by chef-turned-filmmaker Armaan Jain to celebrate his grandfather Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary, brought together FIVE generations of Kapoors for one lunch. Five. Generations. In one room. Eating Punjabi food and roasting each other while cameras rolled.
Share this with every confused person in your family group chat because if the Kapoors can’t figure out their relationships, nobody stands a chance.
1. The Viral Moment That Broke Everyone’s Brain
Let’s start with what actually happened on screen because the moment is comedy gold. Ranbir Kapoor, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, points at Navya Naveli Nanda and confidently declares: “She’s my cousin.”
Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Ranbir’s older sister and voice of reason, immediately corrects him: “She’s our niece, stupid.”
Ranbir shakes his head. Refuses to accept this obvious fact. Doubles down: “Don’t say it. No, she’s my cousin.” Then pointing directly at Navya: “Cousin hai tu meri.”
The casual Hindi mixed with English. The stubborn insistence. The absolute confidence while being completely wrong. It’s the most relatable Ranbir has ever been. Everyone watching at home had a relative who argues about family relationships despite having no idea what they’re talking about.
Navya, sitting nearby looking like she’s been through this debate before, finally settles it: “I call you bua.” Bua means father’s sister. Which makes Riddhima Navya’s aunt. Which makes Ranbir her uncle, not cousin.
Ranbir’s reaction? “You said bua?” Like this information is brand new. Then laughing: “That wouldn’t be a very chatur (clever) answer from you.”
The exchange lasted maybe 30 seconds. But it became the documentary’s most discussed moment. Because it proved that even in Bollywood’s first family, surrounded by cameras and production teams, nobody can keep the family tree straight without help.
2. How Five Generations Ended Up At One Table
The real story behind Dining With The Kapoors is Armaan Jain’s ambition. He’s Raj Kapoor’s great-grandson, actor-turned-chef, and someone who apparently loves family reunions. For his legendary grandfather’s 100th birth anniversary, Armaan decided a documentary lunch was the perfect tribute.
He pitched Netflix. They brought in Smriti Mundhra, director of Indian Matchmaking, to helm the project. Together they created a fly-on-the-wall style documentary capturing the Kapoor clan doing what they do best: eating, talking, and gently roasting each other.
The guest list was stacked. Neetu Kapoor, Ranbir’s mother and Rishi Kapoor’s widow. Randhir Kapoor, the eldest son. Rima Jain, Armaan’s mother. Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan representing the current generation of stars. Ranbir and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni. Aadar Jain and Zahan Kapoor. And yes, Navya Naveli Nanda and her brother Agastya Nanda.
Five generations. From Raj Kapoor’s siblings’ children down to his great-great-grandchildren. All gathering to celebrate the man who built this empire starting in the 1940s when he revolutionized Hindi cinema with films like Awara and Shree 420.
Navya opened the documentary noting how rare this is: “I don’t think it’s common to see five generations in a room together. And I’m really glad that we got that opportunity from so many of the elders in this family for as long as we did.”
That statement hits different knowing how many family members are missing. Raj Kapoor died in 1988. Rishi Kapoor passed in 2020. Rajiv Kapoor died in 2021. Krishna Kapoor, Raj’s wife, died in 2018. The Kapoor family has experienced significant loss. Making this gathering even more precious for those who remain.
Don’t miss number 3 because the actual family connection explanation is wild.
3. The Actual Family Tree Explanation Nobody Asked For But Everyone Needs
Here’s how Navya Naveli Nanda connects to Ranbir Kapoor. And yes, you’ll need to pay attention because this gets complicated fast.
Raj Kapoor, the legendary actor-filmmaker, had three daughters alongside his three famous actor sons. One daughter was Ritu Nanda. Ritu married industrialist Rajan Nanda. They had a son, Nikhil Nanda, who now runs Escorts Group.
Nikhil Nanda married Shweta Bachchan, daughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. Nikhil and Shweta had two children: Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda.
Meanwhile, Raj Kapoor’s son Rishi Kapoor married actress Neetu Singh. They had two children: Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Ranbir Kapoor.
So breaking it down: Nikhil Nanda (Navya’s father) and Ranbir Kapoor are first cousins. Both are Raj Kapoor’s grandchildren through different children. This makes Navya and Ranbir different generations in the family tree. Navya is Ranbir’s niece. Technically.
But here’s where Indian family terminology gets messy. In Western terms, Navya would be Ranbir’s first cousin once removed. That’s the technical genealogical relationship. But Indian families don’t really use “once removed” terminology. Instead, there’s a generational hierarchy. Ranbir’s generation calls Navya’s father “cousin.” Navya’s generation calls Ranbir’s generation “chacha” (uncle) or “bua” (aunt) depending on gender and which side of the family.
Ranbir insisting Navya is his cousin isn’t totally wrong in a peer sense. They’re close in age. Navya is 27. Ranbir is 42. That 15 year gap makes them more peer-like than typical uncle-niece relationships where there’s a generational divide.
But formally, hierarchically, traditionally? Riddhima is correct. Navya is their niece. And Navya calling Riddhima “bua” confirms it.
Clear as mud, right? Welcome to Indian family structures where technical relationships and social relationships often diverge based on age, closeness, and how families choose to organize themselves.
4. Why Agastya Nanda Was There And Nobody Questioned It
Here’s something viewers noticed: Agastya Nanda, Navya’s younger brother, was also at the lunch. And unlike Navya whose relationship sparked debate, nobody questioned Agastya’s presence.
Probably because Agastya is an actor now. He debuted in Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies on Netflix in 2023, playing Archie Andrews. He’s part of Bollywood’s new generation alongside Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor.
His presence made sense in the “this is a Kapoor family gathering and he’s Raj Kapoor’s great-grandson” way. But it also highlighted something interesting: male members of film families face less scrutiny about their family connections than women do.
Navya, who has explicitly chosen not to pursue acting and instead focuses on entrepreneurship and her podcast What The Hell Navya, faced more questions about why she was there. As if being Raj Kapoor’s great-granddaughter wasn’t reason enough.
Agastya just sat quietly eating and observing the chaos. Smart kid. Let Ranbir and Riddhima argue about family relationships while you focus on the biryani.
5. The Name Origin Story That Made Ranbir’s Identity Make Sense
One of the documentary’s sweetest revelations was how Ranbir got his name. And it’s directly connected to his grandfather Raj Kapoor in ways even hardcore fans didn’t know.
Ranbir explained on camera: “My name is actually my grandfather’s name. His real name was Ranbir Raj Kapoor. That’s how he used to sign his checks. And when I was born, I think they were running out of names from ‘R’, so my granduncle, Mr. Shammi Kapoor, told Raj Kapoor, ‘Since you’ve not used this name, let’s give it to him.’ So I got the name Ranbir from him.”
Let that sink in. Raj Kapoor’s full name was Ranbir Raj Kapoor. He went by Raj professionally, building a brand around that name. But Ranbir, his actual first name, stayed in the family records. When his grandson was born, Shammi Kapoor suggested using the unused name.
It’s beautiful dynastic symmetry. The grandson carrying the grandfather’s first name. Continuing the legacy not just professionally but nominally. Ranbir Kapoor isn’t just following in Raj Kapoor’s footsteps as an actor. He’s literally carrying his name forward.
The Kapoor family tradition of R names runs deep. Raj Kapoor’s father was Prithviraj Kapoor. Raj’s sons were Randhir, Rishi, and Rajiv. Rishi’s son is Ranbir. The pattern continues across generations, marking family identity through naming conventions.
Share this fact with your Bollywood trivia group because this is the kind of detail that wins arguments.
6. Armaan Jain’s Transformation From Actor To Chef To Filmmaker
The documentary’s creator, Armaan Jain, has had an interesting career trajectory. He tried acting first, debuting in 2014’s Lekar Hum Deewana Dil. The film flopped. He appeared in a couple more projects but never broke through as a leading man.
Instead of forcing a Bollywood career that wasn’t working, Armaan pivoted to his other passion: cooking. He trained professionally, learning culinary techniques and developing a distinctive style combining traditional Punjabi flavors with modern presentation.
For Dining With The Kapoors, Armaan cooked the entire meal himself. He used handwritten recipes from his great-grandmother Krishna Kapoor, Raj Kapoor’s wife. Dishes that hadn’t been made in years, recreated from fading recipe cards and family memory.
The menu wasn’t just food. It was edible nostalgia. Every dish triggered memories for the family members eating. Neetu Kapoor talking about Krishna’s hospitality. Randhir remembering lunches from childhood. Kareena and Karisma discussing family recipes they’d forgotten existed.
Food became the documentary’s emotional engine. As director Smriti Mundhra explained in interviews: “Good food triggers, and especially if it’s nostalgic food, you can’t maintain any kind of pretense around those aromas and around what that triggers in your memory.”
Armaan’s journey from failed actor to successful chef to documentary creator is its own compelling story. He found his way to contribute to the family legacy without competing in the acting space where his cousins Ranbir, Kareena, and Karisma already dominate.
7. The Family Members Who Were Conspicuously Absent
Dining With The Kapoors featured an impressive roster. But eagle-eyed viewers noted significant absences. Taimur and Jeh, Kareena and Saif’s sons. Samara and Kiaan, Karisma’s children. Raha, Ranbir and Alia’s daughter.
The younger generation of children wasn’t included. Presumably for privacy reasons or because the documentary wanted to focus on adults who could actively participate in conversations about Raj Kapoor’s legacy.
More notably, Alia Bhatt didn’t appear. Ranbir’s wife, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, wasn’t at the family lunch celebrating her husband’s grandfather. The documentary doesn’t address her absence. Likely she was filming or had scheduling conflicts. But viewers noticed.
Babita, Karisma and Kareena’s mother and Randhir’s ex-wife, also didn’t appear. Given she and Randhir separated decades ago, her absence makes sense. But it’s a reminder that divorce reshapes family gatherings even in close-knit clans.
The absences highlight that even this comprehensive family gathering couldn’t capture everyone. The Kapoor family is too large, too sprawling across continents and careers. Some people inevitably miss gatherings. That’s reality, even for Bollywood royalty.
8. Why Everyone Keeps Calling Each Other Chacha And Bua
For non-Indian viewers, the documentary might have been confusing because of how frequently Hindi relationship terms appeared without translation. Chacha. Bua. Mama. Mausi. These terms define Indian family structures in ways English doesn’t quite capture.
Chacha means father’s younger brother. Bua means father’s sister. These aren’t just terms. They’re roles with expectations, hierarchies, and traditional functions within joint family systems.
When Navya called Riddhima “bua,” she was defining their relationship within that traditional structure. Not just “aunt” in the generic sense. Specifically, her father’s sister. That terminology automatically positions Ranbir as “chacha,” father’s brother.
The documentary captured how these terms create family cohesion. Everyone knows where they fit. The hierarchy isn’t oppressive. It’s organizing. In a family as large as the Kapoors, having clear relationship terms prevents the confusion Ranbir and Riddhima comically demonstrated.
But it also shows generational shift. Navya mentioned calling many family members “cousins” despite them technically being uncles or other relations. As Indian families modernize and Westernize, rigid hierarchical terms loosen. Close in age means treating someone as peer rather than elder, regardless of technical family position.
The tension between traditional terminology and modern peer relationships is what made Ranbir’s “cousin hai tu meri” insistence relatable. He feels peer connection with Navya. She’s not a little kid calling him uncle. She’s a successful 27-year-old entrepreneur. The “niece” terminology feels weird even if it’s technically correct.
9. The Documentary’s Real Purpose Beyond Family Relationships
Dining With The Kapoors wasn’t actually about relationship confusion. That was just a hilarious byproduct. The documentary’s real purpose was celebrating Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary and preserving family memories before more elders pass away.
Raj Kapoor died in 1988. Anyone remembering him personally is now in their 60s or older. His grandchildren knew him. Great-grandchildren like Navya barely remember him or never met him. Another generation or two and Raj Kapoor becomes mythology rather than memory.
The documentary captures stories that might otherwise be lost. Randhir talking about his father’s work ethic. Neetu discussing Rishi’s relationship with Raj. Rima sharing memories of growing up in the Kapoor household. These aren’t stories in biographies. These are living oral history being preserved before it disappears.
Armaan’s choice to create this as his 100th anniversary tribute was intentional. Not a grand biographical documentary. Not archival footage with talking heads. Just family, eating together, sharing stories. That intimacy makes the legends human again.
It’s also bittersweet. So many people who should be at this table are gone. Rishi Kapoor died in 2020 after battling cancer. Rajiv Kapoor, the youngest son, died in 2021. Krishna Kapoor died in 2018. The documentary’s subtext is celebrating who remains while grieving who’s missing.
10. What This Says About Bollywood’s First Family In 2025
The Kapoor family has been Bollywood royalty for nearly 100 years. Prithviraj Kapoor started it in the 1920s. Raj Kapoor became a megastar in the 1950s. His sons Rishi and Randhir continued the dynasty. Now Ranbir, Kareena, and Karisma represent the fourth generation of actors.
But Dining With The Kapoors reveals something interesting: not everyone is pursuing acting anymore. Navya explicitly chose entrepreneurship. Armaan found his path in cooking and producing. Riddhima focuses on jewelry design. The pressure to become actors has lessened.
The documentary also shows a family adapting to modern India. They speak English mixed with Hindi. Reference Western culture alongside Indian traditions. Discuss therapy and mental health openly, something previous generations wouldn’t have done.
And they’re comfortable being filmed candidly. Past generations of Kapoors maintained mystique and distance. Today’s Kapoors livestream lunches on Netflix. It’s a different relationship with fame and privacy.
The relationship confusion moment between Ranbir and Navya perfectly encapsulates this modern Kapoor family. Traditional enough to use terms like “bua” and “chacha.” Modern enough to argue about it on camera for millions to watch. Secure enough in their legacy to laugh at themselves while honoring their history.
Drop a comment: Did the Ranbir-Navya cousin debate confuse you or is your family equally chaotic? Share this with everyone who’s ever argued about family relationships at a wedding because the Kapoors just proved even Bollywood royalty can’t keep it straight.
Follow for more behind-the-scenes Bollywood family stories because if there’s one thing better than movies, it’s the real drama happening between the people who make them. And trust this: the Kapoor family has enough stories to fill a hundred more documentaries.
When Ranbir Kapoor insisted “cousin hai tu meri” despite being factually wrong, he gave the internet its favorite Dining With The Kapoors moment. But more importantly, he gave everyone permission to admit that family relationships are confusing for literally everyone, including people whose family tree has been public record for a century. Whether Navya is technically his niece or functionally his cousin matters less than the fact that she’s family. And in the end, that’s what Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary celebration was really about: gathering the family, however you define the relationships, and remembering the man who built the dynasty one classic film at a time.
