Instead of a 'love story', a 'love-hate tale' is a better way to define Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna.
Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna — both defined romance on the silver screen — shared a bond far more complex than any of their film scripts. When the country’s first superstar fell for a teenage starlet who had just debuted, it made headlines. But what followed was a rollercoaster of affection, ego, distance, and undeniable connection. Their relationship had its moments of magic but also cracks too deep to ignore. It wasn’t always pretty; but it was real, raw, and unforgettable.
Raj Kapoor at the wedding ceremony of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia.#rajkapoor #showman #rajeshkhanna #superstar #dimplekapadia #wedding #bollywoodflashback pic.twitter.com/xfn5Z3Nipw
— Movies N Memories (@BombayBasanti) August 11, 2023
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On Dimple Kapadia’s birthday, we look back at the emotional saga she shared with Khanna — a story that went beyond the screen, beyond labels and stayed tangled in both love and longing. It’s not about happily ever after, it’s about everything that came in between.
It began on a private flight to Ahmedabad. Dimple, a wide-eyed teen freshly cast in Raj Kapoor’s 'Bobby', met Rajesh, who was at the height of superstardom after delivering 15 consecutive hits. She was a fan, her heart fluttering for the man whose on-screen charm had bewitched millions. “Rajesh Khanna, I mean, come on, guys, give me a break,” she later laughed in an interview, recalling how she jokingly asked him to hold her hand through a crowd—“Hamesha ke liye?” (Forever?)—a playful remark that would foreshadow the drama to come.
(Credit: dimplekapadia_dk)
Rajesh, smitten by her innocence and beauty, didn’t resist. Nursing a broken heart after a seven-year relationship with actress Anju Mahendru had ended, he found Dimple’s youthful energy intoxicating. Their 15-year age gap raised eyebrows, but to Dimple, marrying her idol felt like “the biggest high” of her life.
By March 1973, 'Bobby' had stormed the box office and Dimple was married to the nation’s biggest star in a lavish ceremony in Mumbai. She was 16. He was 31. Rajesh reportedly asked Dimple to give up acting, which came across as a shock to fans who believed she was Bollywood’s next big thing.
(Credit: weddinvvows.in)
Their home, the iconic Aashirwad bungalow, initially sparkled with love. Dimple became a mother at 17 with Twinkle’s birth in 1974, followed by Rinke in 1977. But cracks soon appeared. Rajesh’s career faltered in the late ’70s, and he struggled to cope. “When a successful man goes to pieces, his frustration engulfs the entire surroundings,” Dimple told India Today.
Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia at the wedding fuction of Gulzar and Rakhee#rajeshkhanna #dimplekapadia #gulzar #rakhee #wedding #bollywoodflashback pic.twitter.com/L6TRjGV7DV
— Movies N Memories (@BombayBasanti) August 22, 2023
(Credit: Movies N Memories)
By 1982, the fairy tale had unraveled. Rajesh’s temper, coupled with rumors of an affair with actress Tina Munim, fractured their marriage. Dimple, then 25, left Aashirwad with her daughters. “The life and happiness in our house ended the day Rajesh and I got married,” she later confessed.
On The Pritish Nandy Show in 1994, she reflected, “I was probably too young to understand what was happening to this man, who was a superstar. I couldn’t understand stars and their behavior at all.” Her fantasy of a cinematic romance—where her husband would serenade her on mountaintops—was met with the sobering reality of silence. “When we reached the mountains and there was no song, no gust of wind, I was shattered,” she recalled.
Mere Sang Sang Aaya Teri Yaadon Ka Mela.... Superstar Rajesh Khanna at the muhurat of Vijay Anand's Rajput (1982) with wife Dimple Kapadia and daughter Twinkle Khanna.#rajeshkhanna #dimplekapadia #twinklekhanna #80s #bollywoodflashback pic.twitter.com/lCTWu3P5XB
— Movies N Memories (@BombayBasanti) July 25, 2024
(Credit: Movies N Memories)
Despite the estrangement, they never divorced. Rajesh once quipped, “Woh deti hi nahi hai” (She just won’t give me a divorce). Some speculated it was for their daughters’ future or inheritance, but Dimple always maintained he remained “an important part of my life” as the father of her children.
Though separated, they were never truly apart. Dimple returned to acting with 'Saagar' in 1985, defying industry bias against separated women and earning acclaim for films like 'Rudaali' and 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Rajesh, meanwhile, struggled with fading stardom and dabbled in politics.
Their connection endured in complicated ways. Dimple even campaigned for Rajesh during his 1991 Lok Sabha run. They acted together in the unreleased 'Jai Shiv Shankar', but their interactions weren’t without friction.
(Credit: rareo_nlyfotos)
While tabloids buzzed about Dimple’s alleged romance with Sunny Deol and Rajesh’s continued closeness to Tina Munim, neither confirmed the rumors. Amrita Singh’s cryptic comment—“She’s got her guy where she wants him”—only added fuel to the fire. Still, a quiet understanding seemed to bind them.
When Rajesh’s health declined in 2011, Dimple returned to his side. On July 18, 2012, he passed away at Aashirwad. Dimple was there, holding his hand, inconsolable. “Do you think he has gone? No, he shall always remain with us,” she said.
Dimple and Rajesh’s story was raw, real, and most importantly, human. And it reminds us that some stories don’t really end—they simply evolve.
Happy Birthday, Dimple Ji!
