The grandmother of the actor Rishi Kapoor is Ramsarni Mehra Kapoor, wife of the well known actor Prithviraj Kapoor and mother of the Showman of Indian Cinema Raj Kapoor.
Ramsarni was born on 25th December 1908 in a punjabi family. At a very young age she lost her parents.
She got married with Prithviraj Kapoor at the age of 15 in an arranged marriage. The couple had 6 children, 5 sons- Raj Kapoor, Devi Kapoor, Ravinder Bindie Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor and a daughter Urmila Sail.
Within a period of a week she lost her 2 sons, Devi Kapoor, her second son died due to double pneumonia and Bindie Kapoor her third son passed away a week later when he accidentally swallowed rat poison pills in 1931.
She was fondly called as Chaiji, in Punjabi a mother, she was a mother not just to her children, but to all other family members, friends, who were staying with them. She toured with Prithviraj and with his drama company of atleast 80 members. They led a very normal life by travelling in a 3rd class compartment.
Both Ramsarni and her husband were suffering from cancer and died in about a fortnight difference. Pruthviraj Kapoor died on 29th May 1972 and Ramsarni died on 14th June 1972 at the age of 64 due to cancer.
She didn't want to see her husband's face for the last time, she refused to see him in a lifeless state. She wanted her mind to be filled with warmer memories of the brighter days which they spent together.