Neliima Azeem recalls 'tough' single-motherhood with Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter and credits Mira Rajput with bringing the family together

Neliima Azeem, the mother of actors Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, recalled how 'tough' it was to raise her sons as a single mother,' and now all she wants to do is focus on herself and spend time with her grandchildren.

She says that she worked very hard' and went through some difficult times while raising Shahid and Ishaan. She is, however, relieved that she can now relax and watch their professional lives thrive.

Shahid is her eldest child, the result of her marriage to actor-director Pankaj Kapur. Later, Neliima got married to Rajesh Khattar, and then Raza Ali Khan. In a recent interview, Neliima discussed the failure of her marriage and how defeated she felt at the time. "It was the first time I actually felt grief, sorrow, rejection, anxiety, pain, fear of the unknown, and a whole lot of insecurity," she said of her divorce from Pankaj Kapur.

She praised her daughter-in-law, Mira Rajput, for 'bringing the family together,' saying she can't say enough good things about her. She also expressed a desire to spend time with Shahid and Mira's two children, Misha and Zain. "I consider myself completely blessed to have a happy family now," she said.

Neliima also praised both of her sons for the career paths they've chosen for themselves and stated that if the opportunity came up, she'd gladly collaborate with them.

Shahid's next film will be Jersey, a Hindi reboot of the hit Telugu movie starring Nani. Beyond the Clouds, directed by Majid Majidi, was Ishaan's acting debut, and he followed it up with a splashy Bollywood debut in Dhadak. He also appeared in Khaali Peeli and Mira Nair's adaptation of A Suitable Boy.