Dimple Kapadia turns 69: Early marriage to Rajesh Khanna, alleged affair with Sunny Deol, sneak peek into birthday celebrations with Akshay Kumar

Veteran actor Dimple Kapadia is celebrating her 69th birthday today. Dimple Kapadia is touted as one of India’s finest actresses; the ever-charming and graceful star has given Bollywood some of its most iconic films. Her versatility has spanned several genres, earning her critical acclaim and a loyal fan following not just limited to Gen X but even millennials and Gen Z.
Be it Bobby or Dil Chahta Hai, Finding Fanny, Bhamhastra to Murder Mubarak and many, many more, each year she has entertained fans with her impeccable style of acting

Dimple made a remarkable debut with the blockbuster Bobby in 1973, instantly becoming one of the most talked-about young stars of her generation. Her natural screen presence, expressive performances and effortless charm won audiences across the country. After taking a break from films for several years, she returned to the industry and successfully reinvented herself, proving her versatility through a wide range of commercial and critically acclaimed projects.
Being a mother, she is also active on social media and attends events and is mostly spotted with her son-in-law Akshay Kumar.

Although not spotted by paps, whenever she is spotted, she is mostly polite and obliges by giving photos and videos.

However, more than her professional achievements, it is her personal life that has often grabbed headlines.

Dimple and Rajesh’s fairy tale romance that fizzled out; they didn’t divorce each other

When Dimple married Bollywood’s first superstar, Rajesh Khanna, in 1973, she was just 16 years old, and Rajesh Khanna was 31 at that time. Dimple Khanna was at the peak of her fame; she didn’t fully process the success of Bobby. Dimple stepped away from acting and became a wife and later a mother to daughters Twinkle Khanna and Rinkie Khanna.

Dimple and Rajesh Khanna’s whirlwind marriage remains one of Bollywood’s most fascinating and complex love stories. Though they separated in the early 1980s, they never legally divorced. Even after their separation, Dimple remained an integral part of Rajesh Khanna’s life and stood by him during his final days.

Looking back at her marriage in a 1994 interview with Pritish Nandy, Dimple spoke with remarkable honesty. She admitted that she and Rajesh Khanna were very different people and acknowledged that she was perhaps too young to understand the pressures and complexities of being married to a superstar.

When asked if that period of her life had been traumatic, her answer was simple: “Yes, it was.”

Dimple herself once spoke about the innocence with which she entered marriage. Influenced by cinema and youth, she genuinely believed romance would resemble the films she had grown up watching. Years later, she laughed while recalling how shattered she felt when reality failed to match those fantasies.

Dimple Kapadia reinvented herself

By 1982, Dimple made a decision that was considered radical for its time. She walked away.

At 27, with two daughters to raise, she returned to the film industry she had left behind as a teenager. Her comeback with Saagar was nothing short of sensational.

When Sunny Deol rumours resurfaced

As Dimple celebrates another birthday, one chapter from her personal life continues to intrigue fans. Years after her estranged husband Rajesh Khanna’s demise, Dimple was linked to Sunny Deol came to public attention in 2017 when old rumours linking her with actor Sunny Deol resurfaced.

In September 2017, Sunny and Dimple made headlines after a video allegedly showing them sitting together at a bus stop in London and holding hands surfaced online. The clip quickly went viral, reigniting speculation about their rumoured relationship, which had persisted since the 1980s.

According to reports at the time, Sunny had travelled to London for a short break while Dimple was also in the city. A fan reportedly spotted the pair together and uploaded the video online.

Sunny and Dimple worked together in several films, including Manzil Manzil, Gunaah, Aag Ka Gola, Narasimha and Arjun. Their on-screen chemistry was appreciated by audiences, and over time their off-screen bond also became a subject of speculation.

Some reports even suggested that Dimple and Sunny had once considered marriage, though such claims were never officially verified.

Sunny Deol has been married to Pooja Deol, and the couple have two sons, Karan Deol and Rajveer Deol.