Dimple Kapadia recalls never getting praised by Rajesh Khanna, not being able to help in his downfall: 'I could only...'

The first superstar of Bollywood, later Rajesh Khanna saw extreme success and a bitter downfall. Dimple Kapadia, who married him as a teenager, witnessed his journey and realized their marriage was troubled. 

Dimple Kapadia in a candid 1987 interview with Screen magazine revealed that she never got praised by Rajesh Khanna and admitted that his approval was what she sought most despite her independence in choosing her clothes and social circle. She said, “Everywhere I went, I was told that I was the most gorgeous woman in the world. But I never got a word of praise from him. It was as if he hadn’t noticed me."

She described how her efforts to win his attention and approval were exhausting and said, “I was always waiting for some reaction, but it never came. All my energy was spent in doing what he wanted and anticipating his approval. It was like climbing a ladder. No matter how fast I climbed, he was still many rungs ahead."

Dimple also witnessed Rajesh Khanna’s downfall and recalled how she couldn't help him and added, “He neither shared his happiness nor his sorrow and I was too frightened of giving him any kind of support. All I could do was wait in attendance just in case he needed me.”

Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna’s love story is one of Bollywood’s most iconic yet complex tales. Their romance began in the early 1970s when Rajesh Khanna was at the peak of his career and Dimple was just a teenager, on the verge of her own stardom with her debut film Bobby. Despite having an age gap of 15 years, the two tied the knot when Dimple was just 16. 

However, heir marriage soon encountered challenges. With Rajesh Khanna's downfall and his expectations of a traditional wife, the emotional distance between the couple grew and Dimple found herself struggling to adjust to the realities of life with a superstar. By the early 1980s, the couple decided to separate, with Dimple moving out with their two young daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna.

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