India, May 6 -- In an industry often defined by a frantic scramble for the top spot, veteran actor Dimple Kapadia remains a defiant outlier. Decades after her explosive debut in the 1973 hit Bobby, Dimple continues to operate by her own rules, shunning the competitive labels that define Bollywood stardom. Also read | Quote of the day by Aishwarya Rai: 'I think the biggest strength lies in one's ability to say no'

Reflecting on her enduring career and her refusal to participate in the industry's obsession with rankings, Dimple made her stance clear in a 1998 interview with Rediff. For her, the shift from leading lady to 'veteran' was not a demotion, but a liberation. At the time, Dimple said she was more focused on her daughter Twinkle Kh...