Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia were one of the hit jodis of their times. Despite having an enormous age difference, the duo not only made a perfect pair on the silver screen, but in real life as well, they were committed as man and wife. Unfortunately, their marital bliss was short-lived as after nine years of togetherness, the couple walked separate paths in 19982. However, what was interesting even in their split was the fact that Rajesh and Dimple only got separated and never formally divorced. Moreover, they also worked together in a few films after separation.
In an old interview, Rajesh Khanna had once spoken up in response to a journalist who enquired why the superstar was not back then formally divorced from his estranged wife and actress, Dimple Kapadia. To this, Rajesh responded in a most chivalrous manner how Dimple had not yet divorced him for reasons best known to her. Moreover, he also highlighted a certain feeling of not forcing the actress since he mentioned that the matter was personal and could be dealt from the heart. Answering to the duo’s probable chance of coming back together, he mentioned:
“Doobara matlab? Pehle kahan alag the? Yeh hai ki alag-alag rehte hai kyunki abhi tak divorce nahi diya hai na usne, wo deti hee nahi hai. Yeh to woh jane kis liye nahi deti hai, pata nahi kis liye. Jab woh ayegi yahan Vancouver mein tab unse ye poochiyega. Woh apko sahi jawab degi. Main to itna hi keh sakta hoon ki nahi diya hai divorce, toh nahi diya. Unki marzi hai. Aur ab kya hai, baat toh dilon ki hai.”
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Apart from being life partners for a significant time of their lives, Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia turned colleagues as they worked together in the iconic film, Jai Shiv Shankar. In an interview with Rediff much later in her life, Dimple Kapadia had recalled a moment during the shooting of their film, when Rajesh Khanna had firmly scolded Dimple Kapadia, post which she was quite scared. Mentioning how Rajesh did not appreciate her suggestion about his profile for the press meet, she mentioned:
“It was very nice. The film shaped up very well, but there were financial problems. One time he was not well while we were shooting and he was supposed to come out on the balcony and wave to the press. I handed him my shawl and sunglasses and told him nicely, ‘Kakaji, when you go out, don’t look straight, your side profile looks better.’ He just looked up at me and said sternly, ‘Ab tum mujhe sikhaogi?"
Well, Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna’s strained relationship had become the top news for the tabloids back then. It was all the more a piece of gossip since the couple had neither continued with their marriage nor had formally divorced from one another. Dimple Kapadia, who is known for her outspoken opinions recalled how her decision of marrying Rajesh was a wrong one, but nevertheless she would still refrain from making any ill statements about her ex-husband. In her words:
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“Kaka (Rajesh Khanna) has been consistently misunderstood. He’s a wonderful guy. I was far too young and impetuous when we married. We may have separated, but I still have tremendous regard and love for him. So don’t you dare try to extract any nasty statements from me. Kaka’s superstardom had to be experienced to be believed.”
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Dimple Kapadia had mesmerised the audience with her promising debut opposite Rishi Kapoor in the film, Bobby. Interestingly, right at that time in her real life, she was a newly-wed woman after tying the knot with Rajesh Khanna, which ended up being a problem for the shooting of the film. Well, it so happened that like any other newly-wed bride, Dimple had mehendi etched on her hands, which was simply against the narrative of the film, and had even irked the filmmaker, Raj Kapoor. Thus, the latter advised her to hide her hands for quite a few scenes of the film.
What do you think about Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia’s strained marriage?
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