‘Dharmendra will never marry you,’ Dimple Kapadia told Hema Malini as she struggled with loneliness in her marriage with ‘arrogant’ Rajesh Khanna

Hema Malini and Rajesh Khanna starred in 13 films together, but through this time, Hema found a warm friendship with his wife, actor Dimple Kapadia.

Hema Malini and Dharmendra got married in 1980. (Photo: Express Archives)

Rajesh Khanna was one of the most successful actors of his generation, but his arrogant attitude with his co-stars, and his tendency to hold up shoots for hours, often upset those who worked with him, and Hema Malini, who was also a leading superstar of the era, was one of them. But despite their differences, Hema and Rajesh ended up working in 13 films together, and the reason behind that was Hema’s friendship with Dimple Kapadia, who had just gotten married to Rajesh Khanna. Dimple was a teenager when she met Hema, who was 9 years older than her, and since both were struggling in their personal lives, they developed a warm friendship.

In Hema Malini’s biography, ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, Hema shared that Rajesh Khanna “would behave strangely” with her, and since she did not give him any special attention, he found her to be “arrogant,” and she felt the same. But, it was during this time that Hema would often see Dimple as she accompanied her husband for shoots, and the two became each other’s confidantes. Dimple and Rajesh got married when she was just 16, and he was 32. The marriage had its challenges from the start, and Hema could see it closely. For Hema, this period was just as tough as she was in love with Dharmendra, who was married with four children.

ALSO READ | Hema Malini was called ‘first lady of second marriages’ when she married Dharmendra, chose to live the way she wanted to: ‘All I wanted was happiness’

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Dimple Kapadia was 16 when she married 32-year-old Rajesh Khanna. (Photo: Express Archives)

Hema, in her biography, recalled that she had a “warm feeling” towards Dimple, and saw her as a “kid sister.” “This kid was all wrapped up in a big sari, with a jooda and bangles covering her arms. Then she had a baby soon after,” Hema recalled as she described Dimple’s loneliness as a newly wed. “During the outdoor locations, she would sit there smoking and drinking, but I never felt it looked wrong or indecent. I know she was going through a lot of tension and she was such a lonely girl. Rajesh used to shoot all day, and in the evenings, he would sit with his friends and chat late into the night and drink. She had no company,” she recalled.

Dimple craved for company, and since Hema would often travel with her parents, Dimple would hang out with them. “I think she liked that family atmosphere. So she would spend a lot of time with us,” she said. Hema hinted that her personal life was going through many obstacles, and she would look to Dimple for advice. “I was going through a lot of tension in my personal life those days and used to discuss it with her. You see, I was not married then, while she was. So there were certain things or advice she could give me,” she shared.

Dimple Kapadia and Hema Malini shared a warm bond with each other. (Photo: Express Archives)

Dimple, on the other hand, was going through her own set of problems. She had gotten married to a superstar at a young age. And despite a hit debut in the movies, Bobby, she was made to give up on films. She had also embraced motherhood at a very young age, and had a lot on her plate, but despite all that, she was a true friend to Hema.

Dimple, in the same book, recalled that she believed Dharmendra would never marry Hema. “You see, I was such a hot-headed person in those days that I’d get all worked up about her problems. I’d tell her things like, ‘This man (Dharmendra) is never going to marry you. You better sit up and do something about it.’ And if she had listened to me…” Dharmendra and Hema got married in 1980.

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Entertainment 'Dharmendra will never marry you,' Dimple Kapadia told Hema Malini as she struggled with loneliness in her marriage with 'arrogant' Rajesh Khanna