If one talks about early boomers in Bollywood, names like Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Hrithik Roshan, and Kajol come to mind. All of these stars became successful very early in their careers. There was another just like them who became an overnight sensation after debuting at 16. But alas, this actress lost all her stardom because she was married and pregnant by the time her film released.
The starlet who got married and pregnant at 15
Dimple Kapadia was born in June 1957 in Bombay to a wealthy Gujarati businessman. As a child, she was called Ameena but Dimple was the name that stuck. In 1971, Raj Kapoor cast her as the female lead of his film Bobby, meant as a launch vehicle for his son Rishi. Dimple was just 14 By the following year, even as the film’s shoot had not completed, Dimple began dating the reigning superstar Rajesh Khanna, who was 15 years her senior. In 1973, Dimple, 15, and Rajesh Khanna, 30, tied the knot in a grand ceremony. Dimple was soon pregnant with their first childhood. Bobby released in theatres that September and became the year’s highest grossing Indian film. But Dimple quit films as per her husband’s wishes.
A young Dimple with her daughters Twinkle and Rinke
Dimple Kapadia’s tumultuous marriage and comeback
But Dimple and Rajesh Khanna had a rocky marriage. The two separated in 1982 but never divorced. In a 1985 interview with India Today, she said, “The life and happiness in our house came to an end the day I and Rajesh got married.” Dimple accused Khanna of infidelity, a charge that he never denied. After her divorce, she called the marriage a ‘farce’. In 1984, Dimple returned to films with Saagar, another hit opposite Rishi Kapoor. Over the next 10 years, she established herself as one of the top heroines in Bollywood with hits like Arjun, Janbaaz, Insaaf, as well as critically acclaimed films like Rudaali and Lekin.
In 1998, as her lead roles dried up, Dimple diversified and started a business. She began designing and selling candles under her brand The Faraway Tree, something she has continued till date.
Dimple Kapadia today
Dimple made a successful and seamless transition to supporting roles at the turn of the century appearing in films like Dil Chahta Hai, Luck By Chance, Cocktail, Dabangg, Brahmastra, and Pathaan. In 2020, she made her Hollywood debut at the age of 62 when she appeared in a supporting role in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. In 2024, she was seen in two films – Murder Mubarak and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya.
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