Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia‘s marriage was one of the most talked-about unions in Bollywood. When the two tied the knot in 1973, Dimple was just 16 years old and on the brink of stardom, having just finished filming her debut film, ‘Bobby’, directed by Raj Kapoor. However, shortly after the wedding, she stepped away from the limelight, putting her acting career on hold. It would be years before she returned to the big screen.Past interviews and reports reveal how Rajesh Khanna played a key role in Dimple’s decision to quit acting soon after their marriage.
Left acting right after ‘Bobby’ release
‘Bobby’ was released in 1973 and turned out to be a blockbuster, establishing Dimple Kapadia as a promising new face in Bollywood. But rather than capitalising on that momentum, she withdrew from the industry shortly after. The actress only appeared in that single film before disappearing from the screen for more than a decade. She chose instead to focus on her home life with Rajesh Khanna, raising their two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna.
Khanna wanted a hands-on mother
As reported by The Indian Express, in a 1990 edition of Movie Magazine, Rajesh Khanna sat down with fellow superstar Amitabh Bachchan for an interview where they discussed the criticism both had faced over the years, especially the idea that they had forced their wives to give up their careers.Khanna, reflecting on the matter, admitted that he had not even seen ‘Bobby’ when he decided Dimple should not continue acting. “I had no problems about my wife working. But when I married Dimple, I wanted a mother for my children. I didn’t want them to be brought up by servants. And I had no idea of Dimple’s talent; Bobby was still not released,” he explained.
Twinkle questioned the double standard
Khanna went on to share that had he seen ‘Bobby’ earlier and realised the extent of Dimple’s talent, he may not have made the same choice. He said, “Besides, if I knew at that moment that Bobby would prove her talent, I wouldn’t have stopped her. To curb talent is cruel. By the time I saw Bobby, our first daughter was already born.”He further recalled, “Recently, when I told one of my daughters Twinkle, that if she would like to act in a film, I would produce one for her. She said, ‘You will let me act but to mummy you say no.’ I said, ‘For the simple reason that I am your father and not your husband.’ ”Despite the challenges, Dimple stayed in the marriage for several years and devoted her time to raising Twinkle and Rinke. But eventually, the relationship crumbled, reportedly by the early 1980s, Dimple decided to walk out of the marriage. However, despite their separation, the two never officially divorced; she was by his side during tough times. Rajesh Khanna passed away in 2012, after a long battle with cancer.
