The hit jodi of the 80s and 90s, Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia's love story was every bit filmy. The duo got married in March 1973, despite an age gap of 16 years and began their happily ever after. Rajesh and Dimple welcomed two beautiful daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna. However, things went sour between the couple, and they finally got separated in 1982.
In a throwback interview with Filmfare, Rajesh Khanna opened up about how his ex-wife, Dimple Kapadia convinced him to cast her in the film, Jai Shiv Shankar. The veteran actor shared that Dimple emotionally blackmailed him and left him with no options. Reflecting on the same, he shared how she even brought their kids in between and emphasised that she wanted to make money for them. Rajesh said:
"She bullied me and emotionally black-mailed me into taking her. She even brought the children into it. Something she said moved me no end. She said. 'What are you making your money for? It's for the children, really. Even this film is an effort in that direction. So why can't I, as the mother, contribute to something that belongs to our children? Why shouldn't I? How can you stop me from making this little contribution for our children?"
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Though Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia never went around discussing their films and roles with each other, this time it was different. He recalled that they were together in Nairobi as Dimple had brought their kids to Dar-es-Salaam for a holiday and he was in London. Their younger daughter, Rinke's birthday was coming up, so the doting parents decided to make her day by celebrating it together. So Rajesh and Dimple met in Nairobi and spent a few days together. It was there that Rajesh had told her about a Malayalam film whose remaking rights he had acquired, and she seemed interested.
Later, Rajesh and Dimple met each other several times in Mumbai and would converse about their kids, Twinkle and Rinke. In the same interview, Rajesh had revealed that he and his ex-wife, Dimple used to keep tabs on each other even during the worst phase of their relationship. Adding that he would love to help her out with films, the actor said:
"We met in Bombay now and then subsequently. After all the bond of kids is there and will always be there between us. But even during the worst phase of our relationship, we kept tabs on each other, always curious to know how the other was faring. At least I did, and I'm certain she did too. If a friendly producer was making a film with another hero, I would unhesitatingly recommend her."
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Dimple Kapadia temporarily quit acting as her husband, Rajesh Khanna, did not want her to work in films after marriage. In the same interview, when Rajesh was asked about his definite stand on his girlfriends working in films but not his wife, the actor revealed what made him change his stand and sign Dimple up for Jai Shiv Shankar. He said:
"The stand was relevant at the time. A girlfriend doesn't have to look after growing-up kids, but a wife has to. In their earlier years. The children definitely need the presence of their mother in the house. It would have been unfair for me to be shooting someplace in Srinagar, and she in Hyderabad, and the kids being left in Bombay all by themselves. I would have stood by my stand with conviction."
Rajesh Khanna further added that since their kids, Rinke and Twinkle were in a boarding school in Panchgani back then, he wouldn't have minded her working in the films. Praising his kids, the veteran actor had mentioned that his kids were mature and intelligent and they wouldn't need their mother to be by their side 24x7. He concluded:
"But, today, it's different. The kids are in a boarding school in Panchgani. Whether or not I would've liked it, doesn't matter. Besides, they are grown-up now, mature kids, intelligent top-rankers in their class, invariably among the first five. At this stage, it doesn't matter if both their parents are career people."
For the unversed, the film, Jai Shiv Shankar marked the professional reunion of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia after six years of separation.
Next Read: When Dimple Kapadia's Marriage To Rajesh Khanna Impacted Her Debut Film 'Bobby' And Irked Raj Kapoor
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