In a family celebrated for cinematic brilliance, academics were never the strongest suit. But Raj Kapoor’s eldest daughter, Ritu Nanda, broke away from both film and comfort-zone expectations.
Married to Delhi industrialist Rajan Nanda, she could have easily led a life of quiet luxury. Instead, she chose to work, first as a LIC agent and later as an insurance company owner.
Early ventures and a bold comeback
Before her insurance success, Ritu dabbled in the kitchen appliances business with her company, Nikitasha, which unfortunately failed. Rather than stepping away, she turned lessons from that setback into the foundation for her next venture, an insurance career that would soon put her name in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Breaking records and making history
With her firm Escolife, Ritu stunned the industry when she sold an incredible 17,000 insurance policies in a single day. This achievement not only broke records but also earned her a place in the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) – a global network of top insurance professionals. She made history again as the first Indian woman invited to address the MDRT’s elite gathering.
A life celebrated in words
Her inspiring journey is chronicled in the biography Being Ritu: The Unforgettable Story of Ritu Nanda, written by Sathya Saran and published by HarperCollins. Released on October 30, her birth anniversary, the book features heartfelt tributes from Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar, and members of the Kapoor family. Bachchan called her “ever giving” and “gracious.”
Family ties and legacy
Ritu was the mother-in-law of Shweta Bachchan, married to her son Nikhil Nanda. The couple also had a daughter, Natasha Nanda. Through Shweta and Nikhil, Ritu was grandmother to Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda, continuing the family’s legacy into the next generation.
After a prolonged battle with cancer, Ritu Nanda passed away on January 14, 2020, at the age of 71, in New Delhi. She left behind not just memories in the Kapoor-Bachchan family tree but an enduring example of determination, resilience, and independence.