Meet actress who had leprosy at 12, then met Raj Kapoor, debut film was superhit, married a superstar, she is now..

Dimple Kapadia became a superstar very early in her career. She was just a teenager when she was cast in Raj Kapoor's 'Bobby' in the lead role opposite Rishi Kapoor. In an earlier interview, Dimple Kapadia spoke about how she got the role in 'Bobby', calling this era the most 'magical' of her life. Dimple Kapadia also made a shocking revelation and revealed that just before she bagged the role in 'Bobby', she was suffering from leprosy and a family friend, at the time, had threatened to get her "ostracised" from her school when she was just 12 years old. 

Speaking to FICCI Flo Jaipur Chapter, Dimple Kapadia said that her father Chunnibhai Kapadia was influential and knew a 'famous director' who was like a friend of the family. Dimple Kapadia recalled how he was unkind to her. "I was suffering from leprosy at that time. I was about 12 years old. I had it on my elbow. So this man turned around and said, ‘I’ll see that you get ostracised from school’. That was the first time I heard that word. I didn’t even know what that meant," Dimple Kapadia said. 

But, her medical condition proved to be a blessing in disguise for Dimple Kapadia as it led to her meeting Raj Kapoor. She said, "Raj Kapoor wanted to meet this girl. He was told there is this beautiful girl and she is suffering from leprosy. Out of this kind of a setback, there was a lot to gain and that’s how I got Bobby. It was the most fabulous time of my life. Anything that I said or wanted or desired, just happened. It was magical. Absolutely magical."

But before things worked out in her favour, Dimple Kapadia faced many hurdles. Raj Kapoor first rejected her for the role. "I remember reading a newspaper in school which said that Raj Kapoor is looking for a girl for Bobby. I said to my friends ‘I am Bobby’. Then I went for the test and I got rejected because he said ‘You look much older than Chintu (Rishi Kapoor). Unn dino main kitab mein likti thi (Those days I would write in a notebook). I used to fill up my notebooks with Ram Ram Ram Ram. I thought aise kaise ho gaya yeh (How did this happen)?" 

Dimple Kapadia said that after rejecting her, Raj Kapoor called her again, after which things fell into place. 

For the unversed, 'Bobby', starring Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor, was released in 1973 and went on to become a super hit. Both the debutants became overnight stars, thanks to the success that 'Bobby' enjoyed at the box office. 

Before the release of 'Bobby', Dimple Kapadia got married to superstar Rajesh Khanna at the age of only 16. She gave birth to two daughters - Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna. She separated from Rajesh Khanna after 10 years of marriage and then returned to films. Dimple Kapadia now plays minor roles in films. She was seen in Shah Rukh Khan's 'Pathaan' last year. 

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