Bollywood Stars You Didn’t Know Were Related: See Their Family Photos
Bollywood has several famous families, but some celebrity connections are far less obvious. From actors who share grandparents to stars connected through generations of film families, these relationships often surprise even longtime movie fans.
Here are seven Bollywood connections that deserve a second look.
Sonam Kapoor And Ranveer Singh
Sonam Kapoor and Ranveer Singh may have worked in different corners of Bollywood, but they share a family connection. The two actors are maternal second cousins. Sonam's maternal grandmother and Ranveer's paternal grandmother were sisters. That makes their mothers first cousins and Sonam and Ranveer second cousins. The connection has been documented in family-tree features about Bollywood's lesser-known relationships.
The relationship also explains why Ranveer has long shared a close friendship with Arjun Kapoor, Sonam's brother.
Kajol And Mohnish Bahl
Mohnish is the son of veteran actress Nutan. Nutan was the sister of Tanuja, Kajol's mother. That makes Kajol and Mohnish cousins. Kajol's extended Mukherjee-Samarth family has produced several actors across generations. Mohnish became particularly popular for films such as Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Saath-Saath Hain, while Kajol established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses.
There are also photographs of Kajol and Mohnish together, making this one of the stronger visual family connections for the gallery.
Farhan Akhtar And Farah Khan
Farhan Akhtar and Farah Khan are not simply two prominent names from Bollywood's creative fraternity. They are first cousins. Farhan's father, writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar, and Farah's mother, Menaka Irani, were siblings. That makes Farhan and Farah maternal first cousins.
The connection becomes even more interesting because both went on to build successful careers behind the camera. Farhan became a filmmaker, actor and producer, while Farah established herself as one of Bollywood's most prominent choreographers before becoming a director. There is also a particularly valuable photograph for this gallery: Farah once shared a childhood picture of herself dancing with Farhan at what appeared to be a family gathering.
Aditi Rao Hydari And Kiran Rao
Aditi Rao Hydari and filmmaker Kiran Rao share one of the more unexpected family links in Bollywood. They are maternal first cousins. Aditi herself has spoken about Kiran being her maternal cousin. Both come from the Rao family's aristocratic and royal lineage in Hyderabad and Wanaparthy.
The connection also means that Aamir Khan, who was married to Kiran, became part of Aditi's extended family through marriage. Kiran has shared photographs with Aditi, including a candid picture of the two cousins that she captioned “#sisterlove.”
Vivek Oberoi And Akshay Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi and Akshay Oberoi share the same surname for a reason: they are first cousins. Akshay is the son of Vivek's uncle Krishnan Oberoi, making the two actors cousins.
Their relationship attracted attention in 2025 when Akshay spoke publicly about the distance between their families. He said the two had not been particularly close, while Vivek later said he had “great memories” of growing up with his cousin and suggested Akshay's comments had been misinterpreted. That history gives this slide something beyond a simple family-tree fact.
Sonakshi Sinha And Pooja Ruparel
Remember Chutki from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge? The actress who played Kajol's younger sister in the 1995 classic, Pooja Ruparel, is actually Sonakshi Sinha's cousin.
Pooja's mother was the sister of Sonakshi's mother, Poonam Sinha. Pooja has spoken about her bond with Sonakshi and revealed that the two have known each other since childhood. The connection became particularly interesting during DDLJ trivia because Pooja also revealed that she wore one of Poonam Sinha's outfits in the film.
Shraddha Kapoor And Lata Mangeshkar
Shraddha Kapoor's family tree has one of Indian music's biggest names in it: Lata Mangeshkar. Shraddha's maternal grandfather, Pandharinath Kolhapure, was Lata Mangeshkar's first cousin. That makes Shraddha the legendary singer's great-niece.
The connection extends beyond Lata. Shraddha is also the great-niece of other members of the Mangeshkar family, including Asha Bhosle. This is one of the most visually valuable connections in the gallery because Shraddha has shared old photographs with Lata, including a picture of herself with her “Lata Aaji.”
