Superstar Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia’s marriage has remained one of the most enigmatic and discussed relationships in Bollywood history. The two tied the knot in 1973, a time when Rajesh Khanna was the undisputed superstar of Hindi cinema, and Dimple was just a 15-year-old newcomer, days away from making her big debut with Raj Kapoor’s Bobby.
Their whirlwind romance captivated the nation. Despite a significant age gap and Dimple’s budding career, they married in what seemed to be a fairy-tale union. The couple soon had two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinkie Khanna. But behind the glamour and adoration, their relationship saw turbulence early on. By 1982, the two had decided to live separately.
However, the twist in their story was that they never officially divorced. This fact left fans and media baffled for decades — why would a separated couple never take the legal step of ending their marriage?
In a rare and candid 1990 interview with ITMB Shows, Rajesh Khanna opened up about this unusual arrangement. When asked whether he and Dimple could ever get back together, the actor replied in his trademark poetic style:
“Doobara matlab? Pehle kahan alag the? Yeh hai ki alag-alag rehte hai kyunki abhi tak divorce nahi diya hai na usne, woh deti hee nahi hai. Yeh to woh jaane kis liye nahi deti hai, pata nahi kis liye...”
(Translation: Come back together as in? We are not divorced; yes, we don’t live together, but she is not willing to divorce me. Only she knows why. I don’t know the reason...)
Rajesh Khanna further added, “Jab woh ayegi yahan Vancouver mein tab unse yeh 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.” (When she comes to Vancouver, you must ask her. She’ll give you the right answer. All I can say is, she hasn’t given a divorce, and that’s her decision. Ultimately, it’s a matter of the heart.)
Despite being legally married, Rajesh and Dimple acted together in only one film, Jai Shiv Shanker (1990), a rare on-screen collaboration.
When Rajesh Khanna passed away on July 18, 2012, at his iconic residence Aashirwad, it was Dimple Kapadia who stood by his side during his final days — a poignant reflection of their complex but enduring bond. Their story, marked by love, distance, and emotional ties, remains one of Bollywood’s most bittersweet romances.
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