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Journalism of Courage
Can you be gorgeous and terribly insecure at the same time? Can you be an actress of great calibre and yet derive no joy from your immense talent? Yes, you can, if you8217;re Dimple Kapadia!
Dimple is a bundle of contradictions. She has lived a whole life living up to what other people expect her to be, and even then, she could not quite live up to their expectations. Someone as beautiful and talented, as famous and successful, should be really, really happy. After all, she had India8217;s only real superstar as a husband. And a successful, soft-hearted hunk called Sunny Deol as a boyfriend. Two well-bred daughters who dote on her. And a great career with many awards, and even a National Award thrown in.
The fact that Dimple came to canvass for her husband Rajesh Khanna twice in the sweltering Delhi summer says a lot for her innate goodness. There8217;s not a mean bone in her body. If there were any two people who were completely wrong for each other, it was Rajesh and Dimple. Once Rajesh said, 8220;Dimple was always lovely looking, but brains are an essential requirement too8221;! Dimple is more street-smart than brainy. She can hold forth for hours on designer wear, Vaastu, hair and beauty-care, Raj Kapoor and most of all, Rajesh Khanna. So, what if she does not know who the President of India is? She ain8217;t planning to sit for an IAS exam.
Somewhere Dimple is extremely simple. In today8217;s world, here is actually a woman who is simply simple and yet so wow8217;. Unlike successful urban women who are more often than not shrewd, conniving and superficial, Dimple is straight from the heart, and yet not a soft, simpering fluttering type. She can be loud and bossy, but she will never hurt anyone intentionally. She is, as I said earlier, a bundle of contradictions. 8220;You know I like to sing but, of course, I8217;m no good at it,8221; she said in her typical self-effacing style to a group of women at my exhibition. 8220;Last year, I was asked to sing at Star Nite abroad. As I started singing, people began hooting and booing, but I didn8217;t stop. Then, they started throwing knick-knacks at the stage, but I still didn8217;t give up. I had the determination to carry through what I had started,8221;she said, oblivious to our amazed expressions.
She8217;s a sweet, simple soul who wouldn8217;t know the meaning of guile8217; because guile is something she doesn8217;t have. Having re-started a film career in her late twenties with two daughters in tow, and no husband, marriage or financial security, she reached the Number Two position in no time. Remember the divine diva of Sagar, the Rajasthani harridan of the National Award-winning Rudali or the sensual beauty of Feroz Khan8217;s Jaanbaaz?
But she kicked it all away to pursue Sunny Deol, designer candles her latest obsession and playing cards her oldest and most enduring obsession. What a waste of a fabulous life and an even more fabulous talent. If the much older Hema Malini and Rekha can still make their presence felt on and off the screen, then why can8217;t Dimple? So, with fingers crossed, we wait, wait for a miracle 8212; for the resurrection of the Dimple Kapadia of yore.
