Dimple Kapadia is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Hindi films. She was discovered by Raj Kapoor at age 14, who gave her the title role in his teen romance Bobby (1973), opposite his son Rishi Kapoor. The film became a massive commercial success and made her an overnight star. Her role as a Christian teenager from Goa established her as a youth fashion icon and won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Kapadia retired from acting following her marriage to Indian actor Rajesh Khanna earlier in 1973, and returned to the film industry in 1984, after her separation from Khanna. The release of her comeback film, Saagar, was delayed, with Zakhmi Sher becoming the second film of her career. Released in 1985, Saagar earned her a second Best Actress award at Filmfare, and she went on to establish herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema in the 1980s and early 1990s. The early roles she played following her return included the Hitchcockian thriller Aitbaar (1985), for which she received positive reviews, and the commercially successful action films Arjun (1985) and Janbaaz (1986). During this period, she acted in several films in South India, which she admitted to having made for financial gain and dismissed their quality.
Many of Kapadia's early roles relied on her perceived beauty, and she would struggle to be taken seriously as an actress. She made a decision to accept more serious roles, and won acclaim for her role in the marital drama Kaash (1987). Financial success came with films like Insaniyat Ke Dushman (1987), Insaaf (1987), in which she played double roles; the controversial revenge saga Zakhmi Aurat (1988), in which she played an avenging rape victim; and Ram Lakhan (1989). She started the next decade by venturing into neorealist art films, known in India as parallel cinema, including Drishti (1990), Lekin... (1990), and Rudaali (1993). All these films won her critical praise, and her role as a professional mourner in the latter earned her a National Film Award for Best Actress and a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. She further essayed character parts in Prahaar (1991), Angaar (1992), Gardish (1993), and Krantiveer (1994), which garnered her a fourth Filmfare Award, in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Kapadia became selective about her roles, and her work over the following decades was infrequent, with substantial gaps. She played the supporting part of a divorced alcoholic in Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and was noted for her portrayal of the title role, a middle-aged professor, in the American production Leela (2002). In both films, she played women who are the object of younger men's desire, in roles written especially for her. Some of her later film credits include leading roles in Hum Kaun Hai? (2004), Pyaar Mein Twist (2005), Phir Kabhi (2008), Tum Milo Toh Sahi (2010), and her supporting roles included Being Cyrus (2005), Luck by Chance (2009), Dabangg (2010), Cocktail (2012) and Finding Fanny (2014). While Dabangg was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of all-time, her roles in Luck by Chance and Finding Fanny earned her two Filmfare nominations. Kapadia was cast by Christopher Nolan in his action thriller Tenet, which was the fourth-highest grossing film of 2020 and earned her positive reviews.
Film +Key Denotes films that have not yet been released + Year Title Role Director(s) Notes 1973Bobby Filmfare Award for Best Actress 1984Zakhmi Sher Manzil Manzil 1985Lava Aitbaar Arjun Pataal Bhairavi Yaskankya Saagar Filmfare Award for Best Actress 1986Vikram Rajasekhar Tamil film Janbaaz Allah Rakha 1987Insaniyat Ke Dushman Shilpa Insaaf Sonia/Dr. Sarita Kaash Pooja 1988Saazish Meena Mera Shikar Bijli Gunahon Ka Faisla Shanu/Durga Nisha Aakhri Adaalat Kabzaa Mahaveera Dolly Zakhmi Aurat Ganga Tere Desh Mein Princess 1989Ram Lakhan Touhean Batwara Jinna Sikka Shobha Shehzaade Aarti Ladaai Billoo Pati Parmeshwar Tara/Durga Pyar Ke Naam Qurbaan 1990Kali Ganga Ganga Aag Ka Gola Aarti Drishti Sandhya 1991Lekin... Reva Gulzar Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress Prahaar: The Final Attack Kiran Narsimha Mast Kalandar Haque Khoon Ka Karz Dushman Devta Gauri Ajooba Ranbhoomi Radha 1992Karm Yodha Namita Angaar Mili Dil Aashna Hai Barkha Maarg Uma 1993Rudaali Shanichari National Film Award for Best ActressFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actress Gunaah Aaj Kie Aurat Gardish Shanti Priyadarshan Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress Antareen Bengali film 1994Pathreela Raasta Krantiveer Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 1997Share Bazaar Cameo appearance Agni Chakra Rani Mrityudata 19982001: Do Hazaar Ek 1999Laawaris Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain 2001Dil Chahta Hai 2002Leela Leela 2004Hum Kaun Hai? 2005Pyaar Mein Twist 2006Being Cyrus Banaras Gayatri 2008Jumbo Devi Voice only (animation film) 2009Phir Kabhi Ganga Luck by Chance Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2010Tum Milo Toh Sahi Dabangg 2011Patiala House 2012Bombay Mittayi Malayalam film Cocktail 2013What the Fish Gurmeet Singh 2014The Shaukeens Cameo appearance Gollu Aur Pappu Amma Finding Fanny English film. Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2015Welcome Back Poonam / Maharani Padmavati 2019Dabangg 3 2020Angrezi Medium Tenet American film 2022A Thursday Prime Minister of India Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva 2023Pathaan Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar 2024Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya Amit JoshiAradhana Sah Murder Mubarak Go Noni Go Noni2026Jab Khuli Kitaab Anusuya NautiyalSaurabh Shukla
Television Year Title Role 2021 Tandav Anuradha Kishore 2023 Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Savitri
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