When Aamir Khan says something kind about your debut performance, you frame it on your wall. When he says you are better than your brother — Ranbir Kapoor, one of the finest actors of his generation — you probably also call your mother, burst into happy tears, and then call your father’s name quietly in your heart.
That is the moment Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is living today.
At a special screening of Daadi Ki Shaadi held in Mumbai ahead of its May 8, 2026, release, Aamir Khan sat in the audience and watched Riddhima make her acting debut at 45. When he walked out, he had four words for the paparazzi that have since broken the internet in the gentlest, warmest way possible:
“She’s better than Ranbir.”
What Exactly Did Aamir Khan Say About Riddhima’s Performance?
Aamir Khan was attending the special screening partly as a film lover — and partly as someone personally invested in the cast. His sister, Nikhat Khan, plays a key supporting role in Daadi Ki Shaadi, making this not just an industry event but a family occasion for him too.
When he came out after the screening, he was, in the words of Live India, “full of smiles and high praise.” Aamir Khan said his full statement in Hindi and English: “This is Riddhima’s first film. She has done a wonderful job — even better than Ranbir.”
He did not stop there. Aamir further added, “I thoroughly enjoyed it. I extend my best wishes to the entire team. Everyone has done a great job.”
There is something to be said for the specificity of Aamir Khan’s praise. He did not say the film was good. He did not say Riddhima was “natural” or “charming” — the safe, non-committal words industry people use when they want to say something nice without saying anything real. He made a direct comparison to one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed working actors — Riddhima’s own brother — and said she outperformed him.
That is either the most genuine compliment in recent Bollywood memory, or the most affectionate brotherly roast. Possibly both.
How Did Social Media React to Aamir’s ‘Better Than Ranbir’ Comment?
Social media is buzzing after Aamir Khan’s surprising comparison between the Kapoor siblings, where he claimed that Riddhima’s debut performance actually outshone that of her brother Ranbir.
The quote went viral almost immediately — not because it was controversial, but because it was so unexpectedly specific and warm. Fans who have followed the Kapoor family for decades found something deeply moving in the image: Aamir Khan, laughing outside a screening room, handing a debutante her first genuine industry review by comparing her to India’s most celebrated film actor, who also happens to be her younger brother.
The comment — “Ranbir se behtar kiya hai” in its original Hindi — trended across platforms within hours. Fans flooded the comment sections with heart emojis, “Papa Rocky would be so proud” tributes, and a unanimous collective feeling that Rishi Kapoor, watching from wherever he watches from, was beaming.
What Did the Early Audience Reviews Say About Daadi Ki Shaadi?
Aamir’s endorsement was not the only warm reaction coming out of the special screening. Audience members who attended shared their responses on social media — and the early word-of-mouth is genuinely affectionate.
As reported by BollywoodShaadis, one viewer shared: “Laughed, cried and was thoroughly entertained by the wholesomeness of it all. @neetu54 you are amazing as usual and @riddhimakapoorsahniofficial what an awesome debut!”
Another review described it as “the most heart-touching sweet film with extraordinary performances, beautiful dialogues. Must watch.”
A third audience member wrote simply: “Fab movie. Such a fun family drama.”
The consistent thread across every early audience reaction is the same: warmth. This is a film that makes people feel something good. In an era of grim prestige dramas and loud action blockbusters, Daadi Ki Shaadi appears to have carved out a gentle, rare space — a film you can watch with your mother, your daughter, and your grandmother simultaneously, and all three will find something that speaks to them.
What Did the Professional Critics Say? A Balanced View
Here is where the picture becomes more nuanced — because professional critics have offered a more measured response than Aamir’s enthusiastic endorsement.
BollywoodShaadis — Positive (Early Review) The film was described as a “sweet fun-family drama” with an “extraordinary performance by Riddhima.” The review noted that the film highlights family bonds and shows that happiness can be found at any age, revolving around an elderly grandmother who left her family shocked with her decision to get married again — for her, a chance to rediscover joy and friendship.
Free Press Journal — Mixed (Murtuza Iqbal) The Free Press Journal offered the sharpest counterpoint. The reviewer did not agree with Aamir Khan that Riddhima is better than Ranbir Kapoor. They acknowledged that Riddhima looks stunning in the film and has a good screen presence, but noted that when it comes to acting, she needs to work on her expressions and dialogue delivery. They also pointed out that this character was very much like what Riddhima is in real life — which means it did not challenge her much as an actor.
The FPJ review was honest in its praise for supporting players though — South star R. Sarathkumar was noted as very impressive in his role, leaving a strong mark. Aamir Khan’s sister Nikhat Khan also grabbed attention with her act.
The honest read? This is a warm, well-intentioned family film. For audiences looking for an emotionally nourishing experience with great performances from Neetu Kapoor and a genuinely charming debut from Riddhima — it delivers. For critics looking for acting complexity and challenged performers — it does not fully scratch that itch.
Both reactions are legitimate. And both can be true at once.
What Is the Real Story Neetu Kapoor Told About How Riddhima Got Cast?
This is the behind-the-scenes detail that has made almost everyone smile — because it captures the accidental, unplanned nature of how some of the best things in life actually happen.
In a recent promotional video, Neetu Kapoor revealed that when the filmmakers first called to ask if her daughter would be interested in doing the movie, she laughed and turned them down. However, she later decided to ask Riddhima anyway. When Neetu called Riddhima, she too laughed at the suggestion — but eventually agreed to do the film.
Two women, laughing together at a ridiculous idea — and then one of them saying, actually, why not? That is how Riddhima Kapoor Sahni’s Bollywood debut began. Not with a grand vision. Not with a career plan. With a phone call, a laugh, and a change of heart.
Some of the best stories start exactly that way.
What Does This Mean for Riddhima as a Performer Going Forward?
That is the question worth sitting with — because Aamir Khan’s praise, however warm, needs to be contextualised correctly.
Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who made her debut with the film, talked about starting a new journey at 45. She has not claimed to be a finished actress. She has not announced future projects. What she has done is show up, be honest on screen, and receive the first reviews of her performing life — both glowing and critical — with what appears to be the same quiet dignity she has brought to every other chapter of her public life.
The Free Press Journal critique — that her role did not challenge her enough — is fair, but it is also the kind of note that applies to almost every debut role in cinema history. Actors find their range through accumulation, not through one perfect first outing. Ranbir himself was not the finished article in Saawariya (2007). He became who he is through Rockstar, Barfi!, Tamasha, Sanju, Brahmastra, and Animal.
Riddhima has started. That is the only thing that matters today. The rest is ahead of her — should she choose to keep going.
What Is the Full Story of Daadi Ki Shaadi? Plot and Cast Explained
For those encountering the film for the first time through Aamir Khan’s quote — here is everything you need to know.
The movie revolves around Tony (Kapil Sharma), who stays in Delhi and is all set to get engaged to Kannu (Sadia Khateeb). But on the day of their engagement, it is revealed that Kannu’s Daadi, Vimla (Neetu Kapoor), is all set to get married again at 70. Tony’s father decides that if Vimla is getting married, then Tony and Kannu can’t get married — and he breaks the engagement.
What unfolds from there is the kind of cascading family chaos that only weddings — and the people who plan, derail, and survive them — can produce. Old scars resurface, the family starts clashing, and the film’s theme becomes giving second chances with a full heart, with age as no bar.
Full Cast:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Neetu Kapoor | Vimla — the grandmother who decides to remarry |
| Kapil Sharma | Tony — the groom caught in the middle |
| Sadia Khateeb | Kannu — Tony’s fiancée |
| Riddhima Kapoor Sahni | Bollywood debut role |
| R. Sarathkumar | Strong supporting performance (widely praised) |
| Nikhat Khan | Supporting role (Aamir Khan’s sister) |
| Teju Kolhapuri | Supporting role |
| Samara Sahni | Riddhima’s real-life daughter — appears in the Senti song |
| Aditi Mittal | Supporting role |
Director: Ashish R. Mohan Production: Artek Studios, BeingU Studios, Shimla Talkies Production Release: May 8, 2026
Why Aamir Khan’s Opinion Carries Particular Weight Here
Aamir Khan is not someone who throws compliments carelessly. His reputation in Bollywood — built over three decades — rests partly on his extraordinary precision about everything he does and says. He thinks before he speaks. He watches before he judges. He is, famously, the person in Indian cinema most associated with the phrase “I watch every film.”
When a person like that walks out of a screening of a debutante’s first film and says — unprompted, to the cameras — that she is better than one of the best actors working in Hindi cinema today, it carries weight that is qualitatively different from a studio press release or a promotional event quote.
It is also, it should be said, an act of genuine kindness. Riddhima is stepping into an industry that has an opinion about everything and everyone. She carries a surname that simultaneously opens every door and raises every expectation. She made her first film at an age when most of her industry peers are three decades into their careers.
Aamir Khan gave her the softest possible landing. And he did it with a joke that made everyone laugh — including, one imagines, Ranbir.
What Would Rishi Kapoor Have Said?
Nobody can answer that. But everyone who knew him even slightly through interviews, books, and the love his family shows for him publicly has a sense of the answer.
Rishi Kapoor was not a man who withheld either his feelings or his opinions. He laughed loudly, loved fiercely, fought openly, and felt everything in full. He championed Ranbir. He adored Riddhima. He was Neetu’s partner for over 45 years.
Watching his daughter debut at 45 — in a film about a grandmother’s second chance at love — alongside the mother of his children, in a song where three generations of his family appear together on screen, and then hearing Aamir Khan say she outperformed his son?
He would have laughed until his eyes watered. Then he would have called Riddhima. Then he would have called Ranbir to tease him mercilessly.
That is who he was. And that is why Daadi Ki Shaadi — for all its simplicity and its critical mixed bag — feels like a film that means something beyond its runtime.
A family completing a circle. On screen. Together. For the first time.
Sources: Indyaspeak – Aamir Khan Full Quote · Live India TV – Screening Report · Deccan Herald – ‘Ranbir se behtar kiya hai’ · BollywoodShaadis – Early Review · Free Press Journal – Critical Review · India.com – Cast & Story
