Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia's co-star Sujata Mehta talks about their rumoured affair: 'Both of them were close...'

Written By Manisha Chauhan | Updated: Sep 14, 2024, 07:21 AM IST

Image credit:Twitter

Gunaah co-star Sujata Mehta opened up about Dimple Kapadia and Sunny Deol's rumoured affair in her recent interview.

Actress Sujata Mehta, who worked in the 1993 film Gunaah with Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia, recently talked about their rumoured affair. The actress revealed that they were quite open about their relationship in public.

While speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Sujata said, "I did Gunaah with them. They had a lovely chemistry, and both of them were close to me. There was nothing to hide since we were working together. In our profession, I feel everything is very professional. Sab log apna kaam karte hai, nikalte hai. Gunaah ke set pe jab bhi hum log shoot pe gaye, they had a lovely chemistry on-screen and off-screen. They were destined to be together."

In the same interview, Sujata Mehta shared that she was first cast as the female lead in Rajesh Khanna's film Jai Jai Shiv Shankar but was later replaced by Dimple Kapadia. She further explained that the change was made because their children wanted their parents to get back together after their separation, and also because Rajesh Khanna’s career was on the decline at that time.

Sujata also mentioned that when she saw Rajesh Khanna at the airport, she could feel his sense of depression. Ultimately, the film was never completed or released.

Dimple Kapadia in a candid 1987 interview with Screen magazine revealed that she never got praised by Rajesh Khanna and admitted that his approval was what she sought most despite her independence in choosing her clothes and social circle. She said, “Everywhere I went, I was told that I was the most gorgeous woman in the world. But I never got a word of praise from him. It was as if he hadn’t noticed me."

She described how her efforts to win his attention and approval were exhausting and said, “I was always waiting for some reaction, but it never came. All my energy was spent in doing what he wanted and anticipating his approval. It was like climbing a ladder. No matter how fast I climbed, he was still many rungs ahead."

Dimple also witnessed Rajesh Khanna’s downfall and recalled how she couldn't help him and added, “He neither shared his happiness nor his sorrow and I was too frightened of giving him any kind of support. All I could do was wait in attendance just in case he needed me.”

Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna’s love story is one of Bollywood’s most iconic yet complex tales. Their romance began in the early 1970s when Rajesh Khanna was at the peak of his career and Dimple was just a teenager, on the verge of her own stardom with her debut film Bobby. Despite having an age gap of 15 years, the two tied the knot when Dimple was just 16. 

However, heir marriage soon encountered challenges. With Rajesh Khanna's downfall and his expectations of a traditional wife, the emotional distance between the couple grew and Dimple found herself struggling to adjust to the realities of life with a superstar. By the early 1980s, the couple decided to separate, with Dimple moving out with their two young daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna.

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