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She is the Porsche with no brakes—Dimple Kapadia
Let’s read about Dimple Kapadia’s life in cinema and beyond
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Dimple Kapadia at the Pichvai Exhibition, 2018 / Wikimedia Commons
It is not often that a 16-year-old steps into the limelight, gets smothered by unbelievable success and leaves it all for a Prince Charming. But a charmed life is not the only thing that every princess wants. Some want self-respect more than a prince.
For many Dimple Kapadia’s life would be nothing short of a fairy tale. Born to businessman Chunnibhai and Betty Kapadia, Dimple has been an epitome of grace and beauty from a young age, with aspirations of becoming an actress. While it is said that Chunnibhai pulled strings to make that happen, the credit for the big break goes only and only to Raj Kapoor who launched her in the titular role of Bobby. Pretty surprising as it starred his son, Rishi Kapoor who was debuting too.
Debuting at a rather young age, one cannot help but wonder if she realized the gravity of the opportunity she was presented with. What more, it is not as if the role simply landed on her lap. Competition was fierce!
But Dimple Kapadia didn't milk the success of her debut film. Way before the release of her first film, Dimple found herself on a flight that changed her life completely.
Seated next to the teenage sensation was none other than the superstar of the century, Rajesh Khanna. He wasn't called the heartthrob of Bollywood, just like that, the man had a reputation to go with it. Ladies were madly in love with him, even those who had passed their teens were driven to distraction with a mere mention of his name. Women were marrying his photographs!
Sitting beside him on the plane itself would have been overwhelming and exciting, it was everything, altogether way too much of the teenage star whose first film had still not been released. Many years later, Dimple confided that containing her awe was very difficult, she seemed to have blabbered herself delirious in front of the star who simply didn't say a thing.
Khanna's charisma and his silence were unnerving but when he finally spoke, it didn't help calm her heart either. Apparently, the superstar informed her that they would be marrying soon. And just like that, the Bobby girl became Mrs. Rajesh Khanna - every girl envied her luck and though she was once loved by every boy in town, she suddenly was seen as an opportunist who grabbed the bag of gold, in the form of the superstar.
No fingers were pointed at the man who was almost twice her age, marrying a teenage girl. Being Mrs Rajesh Khanna was too much of a high for her to fight the rumors or give her piece to the media. She was floating and oblivious to what was happening around her.
It was much later, after she moved out of Khanna’s house with her two daughters, unwilling to be the wife who turns a blind eye to all the philandering ways of her husband, did she speak to the media about her rushed marriage. She confessed, it was almost immediately after her wedding, that she sensed the doom. Life with the superstar was never easy neither was leaving it all and starting afresh but Dimple chose the latter.
Her comeback crashed the glass ceiling for women. Hindi film heroines didn’t enjoy the same liberty as the heroes did. And yet, she disregarded the popular notion that the audience does not accept a married actress, who is also the mother of two daughters.
The going wasn't smooth, with the debacle of her first comeback venture Zakhmi Sher (1984) her career looked rather bleak. Then came the casting coup that landed her back with her Bobby co-star Rishi Kapoor in a love triangle called Sagar, that resuscitated her career. Within no time, Dimple made a thumping comeback with a double role in Mukul Anand’s Insaaf (1987).
Commercially successful films like Insaniyat Ke Dushman and Zakhmi Aurat further established her position. What she started in the 70s, she accomplished in the 80s where she ranked amongst the top actresses of her time.
She is one of the few actresses to pair romantically with the father-son duo of Dharmendra and Sunny Deol. She paired with Dharmendra in Batwara, Shehzaade, Dost Dushman… and with Sunny in films like Arjun, Narsimha, Aaj Ka Gola and Gunaah.
The Dimple charm didn’t diminish when her daughter Twinkle Khanna made her debut with Barsaat, with films like Mrityudauta, Dil Chahta Hai, Leela and more, she continued to grow and glow. Her bests include films like Govind Nihalani’s Drishti, Gulzar’s Lekin and Kalpana Lajmi’s Rudaali. But Dimple never settled for being just an actress who doesn't have an opinion or a say.
Recently, Zeenat Aman shared how when things went south, Dimple Kapadia was amongst the few people in the industry who stood by Aman. Like Aman, many other actresses have spoken about her silent support but never has Dimple spoken about the same to the press.
Despite being estranged from her husband for years, she was by his side when he was ailing. Never once going out there to speak her piece to the press about the whys and nor washing the dirty linen in public. She stood by her sister, her nephew and even her mother without ever speaking about it.
In fact, everyone was wondering what kind of a star-mommy Dimple would be, but unlike many of her contemporaries, she let her girls find their footing all by themselves. No recommendations and certainly no phone calls. Her daughters didn’t achieve her level of success but their independent, free-thinking mind is something we have all seen and appreciated.
But does that mean Dimple is hanging her boots? Absolutely not, she has got herself an agent in Hollywood. After her much appreciated turn with Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, she has had the taste for more. At home, she had two big hits in the form of Pathan and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya – telling you, this lady has no rest.
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