Veteran actress Mumtaz, who shared an iconic on-screen chemistry with superstar Rajesh Khanna in the 1970s, recently opened up about a turning point in Khanna’s personal life that left many—including her—completely surprised: his sudden marriage to Dimple Kapadia.
Rajesh Khanna, fondly remembered as India’s first superstar, was at the peak of his career when he tied the knot with Dimple Kapadia in 1973. The wedding came as a shock to fans, colleagues, and even close friends, largely because of how abruptly it happened — and also due to the fact that Dimple was just 16 at the time and had not even made her debut with Bobby yet. Among those caught off guard was Mumtaz, who was not only one of Khanna’s most frequent co-stars but also someone who shared a close professional bond with him.
Speaking about the surprise wedding in a recent interview, Mumtaz recalled the moment she heard the news. “I couldn’t believe it at first,” she said. “None of us knew he was planning to marry so soon, let alone marry someone as young and new as Dimple. It was completely out of the blue.”
According to Mumtaz, there was no indication from Khanna that such a major event in his life was on the horizon. “We had just finished working together, and there wasn’t the slightest hint that something like this was about to happen,” she noted. “I was happy for him, of course, but also stunned, like most of the industry.”
What made the union even more surprising was the fact that Rajesh Khanna had been rumored to be close to several of his co-stars, Mumtaz included. Though those speculations were never confirmed, fans often imagined the possibility of something more between the two screen legends. The sudden announcement of his marriage to a much younger newcomer was, therefore, seen as a dramatic twist in the narrative that had surrounded Khanna’s personal life for years.
Mumtaz, however, emphasized that there were no hard feelings. “Kaka was always a mysterious man. He lived life on his own terms and didn’t feel the need to explain himself to anyone,” she said affectionately, using Khanna’s popular nickname. “That’s who he was — unpredictable, emotional, and driven by instinct.”
Despite the shock, Mumtaz praised Dimple for how she handled the pressures of marrying into stardom at such a young age. “Dimple was just a girl when she got married, and she was suddenly thrust into a very intense spotlight,” Mumtaz said. “It must have been overwhelming, but she carried herself with grace.”
Today, decades after that headline-making wedding, Mumtaz’s reflections offer a nostalgic lens into an era of Bollywood where stardom, mystery, and personal choices often collided in dramatic fashion. Her candid memories also underscore the lasting emotional resonance of those years and how, even in a world full of glamor, some events remain unforgettable for the very people who lived through them.
