NO AGEING FOR AGE GAP IN FILMS
The ageold Bollywood trend of a young heroine paired with an older hero is going strong
In 2016, Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma teamed up in Sultan, and Dear Zindagi featured Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt together. In 2017, Akshay Kumar romanced Bhumi Pednekar in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (TEPK). In Pad Man, Akshay’s first release this year, he was paired with Radhika Apte. All these films have something in common, besides the fact that they did well at the box office — senior male superstars being paired with much younger heroines.
THE BIG LINEUP
The wide age gap is going strong this year, too. Ajay Devgn (48) and Parineeti Chopra (29) starred in Golmaal Again, and he was paired with Ileana D’Cruz (30) in Raid (and Baadshaho last year). Next up, Kriti Sanon (27) and Parineeti are set to star with Akshay (50) in Housefull 4 and Kesari respectively, and Aamir Khan (53) will be seen with Fatima Sana Shaikh (27) in Thugs of Hindostan. Shraddha Kapoor (31) will reportedly star with Salman (52) in Bharat. And, Shah Rukh (52) and Anushka will be seen (29) in Zero.
Exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi says, “Films are a make-believe world, so it’s important that the storyline remains engaging. Ultimately, what you show on the screen holds more importance than other ancillary elements such as the actors’ ages... That’s why no one found Amitabh Bachchan’s pairing with Tabu odd in Cheeni Kum (2007).”
STAR FACTOR
Most younger heroines admit that the experience of working with a senior nothing less than “inspirational”. Like how, Bhumi found working with Akshay to be like “a masterclass”. She says, “As a newcomer, you can learn so much from him. He is a great example to have around for his sheer professionalism and dedication for work.” Radhika concurs, saying, “In the beginning [of the shoot], it all felt a bit surreal. Akshay sir is such a great person.”
In fact, most female actors admit that they’ve always been fans of their senior co-stars. Alia, for instance, had said, “I don’t need a psychiatrist when I have SRK’s songs. There used to be so many [songs of SRK that I would dance to].”
Such pairings also bring in an element of interest for the audiences, says trade analyst Komal Nahta. “If anything, it adds freshness. I don’t think audiences think like, ‘Oh, this hero is older or the heroine is younger’. Also, traditionally, an Indian hero can pass off as a 25-year-old even in his 40s or 50s; things are different for heroines,” he adds.