Before accepting her role in the iconic film ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, Dimple Kapadia had second thoughts, but the heartfelt encouragement from co-star Akshaye Khanna changed her mind. This film not only became a cult classic but also marked a pivotal moment of collaboration with the fresh vision of filmmakers like Zoya Akhtar.
Dimple Kapadia has often been celebrated for reinventing herself across decades of Hindi cinema, but one of her most unexpected turns came with her role in Farhan Akhtar’s cult classic ‘Dil Chahta Hai.’ Looking back, the veteran star revealed that she almost turned the film down and said yes only because of co-star Akshaye Khanna’s heartfelt request.
How Akshaye Khanna persuaded her to say yes
Kapadia, who first appeared on screen in 1973 and later delivered memorable performances in several films, admitted that she usually finds enough excuses to not do a film. When ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ was first offered to her, she initially refused. The role of the elegant, complex older woman who shares a deep bond with Akshaye Khanna’s character was considered unusual at the time.In an interview with Vogue, Kapadia recalled the phone call that changed her mind. “Akshaye Khanna called me up. He was such a sweetheart. He said, ‘Please, please, do it for me.’ And yeah, I said, of course,” she shared. She added that she is grateful she agreed, saying, “Thank God I did it because working with Zoya (Akhtar) and working with that team was completely… I think by this time, it was a different kind of generation I was working with. So it was very, very rewarding. And it helped me a lot there.”
Building lasting ties with a new generation
Farhan Akhtar’s sister, Zoya Akhtar, worked as an assistant director on ‘Dil Chahta Hai.’ Several years later she cast Kapadia in ‘Luck By Chance,’ where the actress played a former star grooming her daughter, played by Isha Sharvani, for a film career. ‘Dil Chahta Hai,’ produced by Excel Entertainment under Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, also featured Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, and Sonali Kulkarni, among others, and went on to redefine urban Hindi storytelling.Kapadia has continued to explore interesting projects. She recently earned praise for ‘Go Noni Go,’ based on Twinkle Khanna’s short stories, and earlier appeared in ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya.’ Her journey began with ‘Bobby,’ released when she was just 16. That same year she married superstar Rajesh Khanna, with whom she had two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna, before the relationship eventually ended. Go to Source
