Dimple Kapadia over Neetu Singh

Neetu Singh’s mother was interested in having her daughter land the lead role in Bobby. She tried but if rumours were to be believed, Raj Kapoor didn’t choose Neetu Singh because she had already done a few films as a child artist such as Dus Lakh, Waaris and Do Kaliyaan.
Who will be the heroine of a Raj Kapoor film? That had always been a topic of great curiosity among people. A set was erected for Kal Aaj Aur Kal at the RK Studio. At that time, Chunnibhai Kapadia, the father of Dimple Kapadia, made her do a test for Raj Kapoor. It was the shot where she climbs down a staircase and hugs Rishi Kapoor. Dimple did a take and she was shortlisted.

Who was Bobby, Rishi Kapoor or Dimple?

Music composer Laxmikant of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo had once revealed that he didn’t know whether Bobby was a girl or a boy. They later came to know that the lead character was a girl. He had also revealed in one of his interviews that people used to think that Raj Kapoor made Bobby for his son Rishi. But it turned out to be the heroine’s film.
Raj Kapoor was a director of women-oriented films whether it was Prem Rog, Heena, Satyam Shivam Sundaram or Ram Teri Ganga Maili. People often tend to ignore the fact that after Mera Naam Joker, Raj Kapoor’s cinema changed and he made films with women-oriented subjects.

The Bobby blitzkrieg

Bobby brought with it the trend of film merchandizing such as Bobby handkerchief, Bobby cap, Bobby blouse/shirt, goggles, jackets, pants etc. And that turned out to be genuine publicity. At that time, vinyl would be released six months before the film. The songs of Bobby became a hit and on March 27, Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia got married. Bobby released in September that year. Bobby started the trend of young hero and heroines in Hindi cinema.