Who was Karuna? Rajpal Yadav’s first wife whose body he carried after she died during childbirth

Karuna was the first wife of Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav, whom he married at age 20. She tragically passed away in 1991 shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Jyoti.

New Delhi: Known for making audiences laugh with his effortless comic performances, Rajpal Yadav has lived through moments of intense personal grief far from the camera’s glare. In an earlier interview with The Lallantop, the actor opened up about a tragic incident from his early years that changed his life forever.

Rajpal revealed that he was married at just 20, a time when early marriages were common in families where young men had steady work. He had begun a new chapter with his wife Karuna, but their happiness was short-lived.

In 1991, Karuna died during childbirth while delivering their daughter, Jyoti. Speaking about that devastating day, Rajpal recalled how he had expected to visit the hospital to see his wife and newborn. Instead, he was confronted with an unimaginable loss.

“I was supposed to meet her the next day, but instead I had to carry her body on my shoulders,” he shared emotionally during the interview.

Though the pain was unbearable, Rajpal said his family became his strength. His mother and sister-in-law stepped in to raise Jyoti with love and care, making sure she never felt the absence of her mother. He stressed that his daughter grew up in a home filled with affection despite the tragedy that surrounded her birth.