Dimple Kapadia got candid in an interview, where she revealed the details of her marriage to superstar Rajesh Khanna and their split. The actress married six months before the release of her first film Bobby in 1973.
Bobby marked the debuts of Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, and was a big hit. Even after five decades of its release, it remains one of the most talked about Bollywood films. Kapadia was only 17 when she debuted and immediately rose to fame. But it wasn’t just her role in Bobby that made headlines, her personal life too.
It has been reported that Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna met on the flight for the first time. After signing Raj Kapoor’s film, she traveled to Ahmedabad for an event. Recalling the incident at an event a few years ago, she said: ‘We were going to Ahmedabad on a private flight for a function. I was born dramatic. Bachpan se drama ka shauk bahut jyada tha. He sat next to me. I looked at him. Rajesh Khanna, I mean come on guys give me a break. I told him very chalaak-ly, ‘Wahan toh bohot crowd hoga, bheed hogi. Aap mera haath pakdoge na? (This place will be very busy, won’t it? Will you hold my hand?)’ He said, ‘Haan bilkul (Yes, why not).’ I replied, ‘Hamesha ke liye? (Forever?)’ And the rest is history. It happened.”
Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna had two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna and broke off their marriage later in 1982. Dimple also commented on the reason for their separation in an interview. She said: “I think we were two very different types of people. I was probably very young to understand what was happening to this man, who was a superstar. I’ve never been able to understand stars and their patterns of behavior because I’m not one myself. I just couldn’t understand”
She also opened up about how much Bobby helped shape her career. She commented: “I see it as a lease of life. After 10 years, it’s the only film that took me to where I was in life. Otherwise, no one would have given me a job.
She also shared an interesting fact about Bobby’s casting. Dimple didn’t catch Bobby on his first shot. Recalling the incident, she said: “I was at school and I read in the newspapers that he (Raj Kapoor) was looking for a new face. I told my friends – it’s me. At this age, you can afford to be so confident. I was taken to the screen test where I was quickly rejected because I looked older than Rishi Kapoor. But he gave me another screen test and I got the movie. I kept trying very hard in some scenes to bring real tears. He was going to build me. I have yet to meet a director like him. It makes you feel like you can do it. He instilled that kind of confidence in you.
