When young Shahid Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter stood by Neliima Azeem during difficult times

Actress and mother of popular actors Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, Neliima Azeem recently opened up on how she raised her both sons. She revisited times when her sons were protective of her ever since childhood. For the unversed, Shahid is Neliima’s son from Pankaj Kapur and Ishaan from Rajesh Khattar.

Neliima recalls when Shahid confronted a man following her

While talking to Rashmi Uchil for the book Raising Stars, Neliima shared, “I was performing in Belgium once and a French guy kept following me around. Shahid was all of six then. He stood up to that guy and told him, ‘Before you talk to her, you will have to deal with me. That’s my mother.”

Neliima revisits Ishaan threatening a man with police

Azeem revealed, “Ishaan was equally astute. He was only 3 and a half years old when a rather unpleasant incident took place. He told the person who was getting aggressive with me, ‘I am watching you. Should I call the police?’ Both my boys have been protective of me since a very early age.”

Neliima said that she didn’t have the option to stay at home but rather was compelled to go out in order to raise her sons

She said in the same interview, “It is a matter of privilege if you can choose not to work after having kids. I never had the option of not working,” she said and added that she was “the breadwinner of the family mostly.” She shared, “Boys who are raised by working mothers generally tend to become more responsible, sensitive, and emotionally caring. They want to help out and ease the financial burden on their mother’s shoulders.”

Other than Rajesh and Pankaj, Neliima was also married to Raza Ali Khan until 2009.