The Original Divas of Bollywood– Part 5: Dimple Kapadia

Of the innumerable glam dolls we have seen over decades, Dimple Kapadia registers a different class of glamour and elegance in our minds.

The ravishing beauty was Bollywood's ultimate pin-up girl and her glamour quotient was such that no other actress could come in close comparison with her. In fact, she re-defined glamour in the Hindi film industry with her trademark auburn hair and quiet charm. We take a look at the amazing journey of Dimple Kapadia in Bollywood.

The actress was born as Dimple Chunnibhai Kapadia in a Gujarati family, in the year 1957. Her father, Chunnibhai Kapadia was an entrepreneur. She also had a younger sister, Simple Kapadia, who passed away at the age of 51 after losing her battle to cancer.

At the tender age of 16, Dimple was discovered by the 'showman' himself, Raj Kapoor, who went on to cast her opposite his son, Rishi Kapoor in 'Bobby'. The film made overnight superstars out of the lead pair of the film. Dimple's sweet yet sensuous act in the film turned her into a fantasy of scores of teenagers. In fact, the movie was considered a classic in the league of innocent love stories and was emulated in many films like 'Love Story', 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' and 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. 'Bobby' has remained her best known film till date as it played a crucial role in shaping up the glamorous image that she embodies. Also, the pairing of Rishi Kapoor and Dimple went on to become one of the most adored in Bollywood.

Dimple had her Cinderella moment when the then-reigning superstar Rajesh Khanna swept her off her feet. The two had a hasty marriage 6 months before 'Bobby' released and by the time the film had catapulted her to stardom, she had already given up her promising acting career to take care of her home. She was being considered for many plum projects, which went to other actresses in the face of her departure from Bollywood. In the meanwhile, Dimple gave birth to two daughters, Twinkle and Rinkie and devoted herself to bringing them up.

In 1984, she separated from hubby, Rajesh Khanna following various differences. With the annulment of her marriage, Dimple came back to the magical world of cinema. Her major comeback vehicle was the film 'Saagar' which made waves before its release rather than after it: courtesy– Dimple's brief topless scene. Though the movie didn't really perform well, Dimple's performance was appreciated by the critics. Following her comeback, Dimple jumped the bandwagon of movies like 'Jaanbaaz', 'Insaaf', 'Zakhmi Aurat', 'Ram Lakhan', etc. re-establishing herself as the penultimate glamour girl of Bollywood.

The relationship between Dimple and Sunny Deol has been a much talked about one. The pair starred in a number of films together which reportedly led to a torrid affair between them. When Sunny was at the peak of his career, the tabloids ran overtime with reports of their alleged affair, which, apparently lasted for 11 long years, despite him being a married man. However, the two never acknowledged their affair and the two are still seen in each other's company.

After a certain time, Dimple experimented with her roles and dabbled in parallel cinema like 'Lekin', 'Drishti' and 'Rudaali', where she played roles of a restless sprite, a disillusioned wife and a professional mourner respectively. Roles like these affirmed the fact that Dimple was not mere eye-candy but a sensitive actor who could breathe life into her characters. The film, 'Rudaali', directed by Kalpama Lajmi, fetched her the National Award for Best Actress.

Dimple continued to act in movies even after her two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke, had joined the industry. The two were constantly subjected to comparison with their mother which apparently had negative results as neither of the two could replicate their mother's success. Today, both her daughters are happily married – Twinkle to Akshay Kumar and Rinke to businessman Sameer Saran.

Dimple Kapadia is one actress who is getting better with age. She was almost 45 years of age when she played Akshaye Khanna's muse in the movie 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Her role of an alcohol addict struggling with her divorce was hailed by film critics and the audience alike. Her role in movies like 'Leela' and 'Luck by Chance' showed that her glory had not yet faded from the minds of her fans. She was last seen in the movie 'Patiala House', starring son-in-law Akshay Kumar.

Beginning her journey as the demure teenager in 'Bobby', Dimple Kapadia charted her Bollywood journey with a lot of ups and downs. Despite touching super success with her very first film, she prioritized her family, which, not many actresses would do. Her successful comeback into Bollywood shattered the notion that married actresses could not make it big in the industry. In a way, she made the road for comeback slightly easier for actresses who were married. She re-invented the glamour quotient with her very first first film and continued to do so throughout her career. Despite playing myriad roles in films, she will always remain the innocent and vulnerable 'Bobby' for all of us. (MensXP.com)

Also read: The Original Divas of Bollywood: Part 3– Rekha, The Original Divas of Bollywood– Part 4: Parveen Babi