Hema Malini was a frequent collaborator of the superstar Rajesh Khanna, and they ended up working in 13 films together. While Hema Malini never "liked" Rajesh Khanna, she developed a long-standing friendship with his wife Dimple Kapadia, who used to accompany the superstar on set back in the day. Their friendship flourished over their shared struggles in love and relationships. In Hema Malini's biography, Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, the Sholay actress spoke about her friendship with Dimple Kapadia. The Bobby actress, in a fit of temper, once told Hema Malini, "Dharmendra will never marry you."
How Dimple Kapadia And Hema Malini's Friendship Started
Dimple was a teenager when she met Hema, who was nine years older than her. Dimple Kapadia was only 16 when she got married to Rajesh Khanna (32).
Hema, in her biography, recalled that she had a "warm feeling" towards Dimple and called her 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 newlywed.
"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 in her biography.
Why Dimple Said Dharmendra Wouldn't Marry Hema Malini
While newlywed Dimple Kapadia was struggling to fit into Rajesh Khanna's world, Hema Malini was going through a similar situation after falling in love with Dharmendra, a married man with four children.
For the unversed, Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur before Hema Malini. They are parents to four children—Sunny, Bobby, Ajeita and Vijeta.
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..."
However, Dharmendra and Hema got married in 1980.
When Dimple Advised Hema Malini
Dimple would visit Hema Malini and her parents as she was in search of company at the time. "I think she liked that family atmosphere. So she would spend a lot of time with us," Hema said.
Hema admitted that Dimple used to give her advice during those days. "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.
Hema Malini and Dimple Kapadia worked together in films like Gulzar's Lekin (1991), Mahesh Bhatt's Maarg (1992).
