She was discovered by Raj Kapoor, who introduced her in the 1973 movie Bobby. She was only sixteen at the time. She married Hindi film’s First Superstar Rajesh Khanna at the age of 16 and despite the enormous success of Bobby, left the film industry to raise her children.

After a divorce, she returned to the film industry in 1985, in the film Saagar, where she once again appeared opposite her Bobby co-star, Rishi Kapoor. Saagar featured a brief topless scene for Ms. Kapadia, which was very controversial at the time.[1] She then did many roles which were bold. Her sex scene with Anil Kapoor in Jaanbaz is still considered to be very bold.

She appeared in many movies throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress portrayal of her role in Rudaali in 1993. She was praised for her performance as an alcoholic in Dil Chahta Hai in 2001. In 2005 she once again starred with Rishi Kapoor in Pyaar Mein Twist. This was twenty years since their last on-screen pairing, and thirty-two years since their first. In 2006 she starred in her first English-language film Being Cyrus. The elderly Dimple has opted for mature roles of late. Playing either mother or grandmother roles.