At 22, Pathak married the son of one of her mother's friend. However, they were separated within a year. In 1986, she met current husband Pankaj Kapur, while filming Sagar Sarhadi's Agla Mausam, which was never released. Kapur was previously married to Kathak danseuse and actor, Neelima Azeem, with whom he has a son, the actor Shahid Kapoor. After two years of courtship, they tied the knot in 1988, and are now parents to a daughter and a son. Their daughter, Sanah (b.1990), made her debut in the movie, Shaandaar (2015).