Rahul Rawail, who assisted Raj Kapoor during the making of Bobby, disclosed that Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia weren’t the initial choices for the lead roles.
In 1973, Rishi Kapoor-starrer Bobby was released and became one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema. Helmed by Raj Kapoor, it also marked Dimple Kapadia’s debut film at the age of 15. But did you know Rishi and Dimple were not the original choices for the film. Yes, filmmaker Rahul Rawail shared a lesser-know anecdote about the casting of the iconic film.
Rahul, who assisted Raj Kapoor during the making of Bobby, recently spoke about the film at the ongoing International Film Festival of Indian (IFFI) 2024. He disclosed that Dharmendra and Hema Malni were originally considered for the lead roles.
In a conversation with Ranbir Kapoor, Rawail said, “After Mera Naam Joker, when Raj Kapoor decided to make Bobby, the financial controllers suggested, Let’s make this teenage love story with Dharmendra and Hema Malini.” But Raj Kapoor hilariously responded, “I’m going to make it with Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) and a new girl I’ve discovered. And that’s how film came to life, with Raj Kapoor saying true to his style of filmmaking.”
Bobby is a story of two star-crossed lovers Raj Nath (Rishi Kapoor) and the Goan Catholic, Bobby Braganza (Dimple Kapadia). While many people believe that Bobby marked Rishi Kapoor’s debut, his actual first film was Mera Naam Joker for which he won the national award for Best Child Artist.
Rishi Kapoor mentioned in his autobiography Khullam Khulla, “Acting was in my blood and there was simply no escaping it. My childhood was a dream, like an unending mela. People from the film fraternity constantly streamed in and out of our home… The Kapoors have always been proud of our profession; nobody has ever been apologetic about belonging to the entertainment industry.”
