THIS actress battled leprosy as a child, delivered Bollywood's biggest romantic hit, married a superstar twice her age, and ended it at 27

From battling a childhood illness and being plucked from obscurity by Raj Kapoor, to becoming the face of one of Bollywood’s biggest romantic hits and marrying Hindi cinema’s first superstar twice her age — Dimple Kapadia’s life has been nothing short of cinematic.

Her journey has seen dizzying highs, heartbreaking lows, and fearless reinventions, making her one of the most enduring and intriguing figures in Indian cinema.

Dimple’s early break in Bollywood

Dimple gave her screen test for Bobby when she was just 14 years old. The film was a massive box office success, making her an overnight star. Earlier, while talking to FICCI Flo Jaipur Chapter, Dimple had shared how she landed the role in Bobby. She revealed that her father, Chunnibhai Kapadia, knew many influential people in the film industry, and a “famous director,” who was “like a family friend,” had once said something horribly unkind to her.At just 14, Dimple Kapadia gave her screen test for Bobby — the film that would become a box office blockbuster and turn her into an overnight sensation. Speaking at the FICCI Flo Jaipur Chapter, she recalled how she bagged the role. Her father, Chunnibhai Kapadia, was well-connected in the film industry, but one “famous director,” a family friend, had once made a shockingly unkind remark to her.

Battling leprosy and stigma

Dimple revealed that at around the age of 12, she was battling leprosy, with visible patches on her elbow.

A well-known director, considered close to her family, made a deeply hurtful remark and even threatened to have her shunned at school. It was the first time she had ever encountered such a word or the stigma attached to it.Dimple shared that her illness unexpectedly paved the way for her Bollywood debut. Raj Kapoor had heard about a beautiful young girl battling leprosy and wanted to meet her. What began as a personal setback soon turned into a life-changing opportunity, as she landed Bobby, marking the most magical phase of her life where every wish seemed to come true.

Marrying superstar Rajesh Khanna at 15

At just 15, Dimple made the unconventional choice to marry 30-year-old superstar Rajesh Khanna. A devoted fan of his work, she deeply admired him, and their chance encounter on a flight eventually led her to take the life-changing decision to become his wife.Dimple once shared that her love story with Rajesh Khanna began on a private flight to Ahmedabad for a function. Sitting beside the superstar, she couldn’t help but be in awe of him.

In a playful moment, she asked if he would hold her hand in the crowd at their destination, and then cheekily added, “Forever?” That lighthearted exchange marked the start of their journey together.Speaking at the FICCI Flo Jaipur Chapter, Dimple Kapadia confessed that she was so young and influenced by films that she actually believed Rajesh Khanna would sing to her like in his movies. “When we went to the mountains and there was no song, no breeze, my dream was shattered,” she laughed, calling herself “naive” for believing in such cinematic romance.

Leaving films for family

After their marriage, Dimple stepped away from films to focus on her family. The couple had two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna.While Rajesh Khanna never explicitly stopped Dimple from acting, he expected her to focus on raising their children rather than pursuing films. At the time of their marriage, Bobby had not yet been released, and he was unaware of her acting potential. Later, he admitted that if he had known how talented she was, he might not have discouraged her from working, as he considered curbing talent to be cruel.

However, by the time the film released, their first daughter had already been born.The cracks in Dimple Kapadia’s marriage with Rajesh Khanna began to appear in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as his stardom started to fade. With consecutive box-office failures, Khanna struggled to cope with the downturn in his career, and the strain gradually seeped into their relationship. Despite efforts to make it work, Dimple eventually moved out in 1984, leaving the superstar alone in his iconic Mumbai bungalow.

Looking back, she admitted she had been too young at the time to fully grasp how deeply his fall from grace was affecting him.In a 1994 interview with Pritish Nandy, Dimple reflected that marrying the superstar had been a mistake, as she was too young to truly understand the responsibilities and realities of marriage. She explained that their personalities were vastly different and that she struggled to comprehend the mindset and behaviour patterns of someone living in the intense spotlight of stardom—something she had never personally experienced.She recalled that period vividly and acknowledged that it had been a deeply traumatic time for her.

Making a bold comeback

After parting ways with Rajesh Khanna, Dimple returned to the silver screen at 25 with Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar, reuniting with her Bobby co-star Rishi Kapoor. The film created quite a buzz, not just for its storyline but also for a swimsuit scene that was seen as bold and unconventional for a mother of two in that era.Rumours of a romance between Dimple and Rishi Kapoor first surfaced after the release of Bobby and resurfaced with renewed intensity following Saagar, fuelled by the duo’s on-screen kissing scenes. Since her comeback, Dimple has steadily carved a niche for herself in Indian cinema and continues to stay relevant today, captivating audiences with her powerful performances.