Rajesh Khanna was 31 when he married a much younger girl, Dimple Kapadia, aged 16 in 1973. She left acting after marriage despite the huge success of her debut film ‘Bobby’. After having two daughters, Twinkle and Rinki Khanna, the duo separated.
However, they did not officially divorce.
She moved out of his house in 1982 and they lived separately until his death. Before his death, Rajesh Khanna was living with his partner Anita Advani who had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking recognition of her relationship with him. However, on April 1, 2026, the Bombay High Court dismissed Anita Advani’s appeal seeking recognition of her live-in relationship with the late actor as a valid marriage.
The court observed that the relationship bore the “character of a direct relationship” which did not meet the tests of a valid marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act.Now in a recent interview, Advani spoke about her case and her relationship with Khanna. She also claimed that Rajesh Khanna asked for divorce from Dimple several times, but she refused. In an interview with Meri Saheli, Anita said, “Mera kaas hai woh hindu marriage law pe chala gaya hai jesi mera lena dena nahi hai.”
Yahan Si Madani Min Bahj Zia. Civil laws are different. Relationship in the nature of marriage manga main toh kehti hai wife nahi hai.
Yeh joh lawbanaa hai, “relationship in the nature of marriage” usmein live-in partner bhi ati hai, sister bhi ati hai, mother bhi ati hai (“My case was processed under the Hindu Marriage Act, which has nothing to do with my situation. From there, it was transferred to the civil court because the civil laws are different.
I asked to be recognized as having a “marital relationship,” but they said I was not a wife. The law that recognizes a “relationship of the nature of marriage” includes not only the cohabiting partner, but also the sister and mother). She also added: “Koi kehta hai Relationship Sahi hai Aur kisi ki wife ho aur woh uske saath reh rahe ho toh aap kisi aur ke saath communication nahibanaa sakte. Lekin aap chale gaye ghar chhodke, aapka saalon tak rishta nai hai, uske baad koi aata hai unki life mein.”
Woh insaan ko aap barbar karditti hai ki woh kahin ka nahi raita. Na toh woh saath reh aur nahi talaq kar rah. Divorce kitna manga, nahi diya.
Ab woh kahin ka na rahi. Aur maang itne thi ki divorce dena bhi hai toh sab kuch hamari naam kardo. (Some people say that the relationship was valid, and that if someone is still legally married and living with their spouse, they cannot have an affair with someone else.
But what if the husband leaves home and does not have any relationship for years? Then a new person comes into that person’s life. This person ends up completely ruined because he is left without legal status. They were not living together and were not divorced. He has asked for divorce numerous times, but it has never been granted. In the end, he remained forgotten. The requirement was that if they agreed to the divorce, everything should be transferred into their name.” Anita further said that Rajesh Khanna had earlier said in an interview that Dimple did not divorce him. Bola bhi tha interview with main ke main hai divorce dena chahta ho, kitni par bola hai par woh dete nahi hai. Aisi Kunsi’s wife, Pata Nahi? Aur bakchi saath mein rehti ho wife.. toh ghar kyun tod. Divorce 10 par manga magar nahi diya, Unki maang itni thi ke agar divorce dena hai toh sab kuch hamari naam kardo. Uski thi toh wife isiliye tumhare saath relationship nai ho raha.
Woh akela ho gaya aur apni life woh de raha hai, he was not an easy man but unka koi saath aur agar unka koi saath de raha hai toh lawbanaa kyun hai? Bohut asamanghas wali baat hai. (He even said in interviews that he wanted a divorce. He said it many times, but they did not give it. What kind of wife does that? A wife and children are supposed to live together – otherwise why break up the house? But here they lived separately. There was no such thing as a husband and wife between them. He asked for a divorce at least ten times, but it was never granted. The condition was that if they agreed to a divorce, everything had to be registered in their name. And because he still had a wife, they kept saying “The relationship with me is unrecognizable.” “He ended up alone and was simply trying to live his life. He was not an easy man, but if someone chose to side with him, why would the law exist if it wouldn’t protect such a relationship?” Rajesh Khanna died in 2012.
