In the hero-centric world of Hindi cinema, it is the heroes who always have the upper hand. And that includes choosing or approving heroines who are young, often born even around or after the actors’ screen debuts!
We have seen this happening even in the past, especially with Dev Anand, Dharmendra and Jeetendra, and one cogent reason is that these actors not only had long careers as leading men but also played typical heroes rather than character artistes who were protagonists when well above 50.
And that is now happening with our present superstars as well—Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn.
In the film industry, a gap of up to 15 years can be considered “normal” by convention. This is simply because such a gap can also be explained by the age at which stars make their debuts, star statuses and distributors’ demands et al.
But very often, this age barrier is breached in the filmmakers’ quest to bring in fresh combinations and appealing films for younger generations. Couple this with the big male stars’ ‘competitive’ desire to look, feel and ‘become’ young and we have the inner secret of this phenomenon!
Aamir Khan had Katrina Kaif (Dhoom: 3, Thugs of Hindostan), who is 18 years younger to him. Asin was born 20 years after Aamir and also co-starred with Salman and Akshay Kumar who is 18 years older. Tamannaah Bhatia has been Akshay Kumar’s co-star and 22 years his junior. The younger Hrithik Roshan too has Mrunal Thakur (Super 30), who was born 18 years after him.
A small digression: we have quite a few examples today of star pairs where, a few years down, a popular romantic female co-star played mother or ‘bhabhi’ (sister-in-law) to a big name. Standing out here is the example of Raakhee playing Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in Shakti (1982) after numerous romantic hits like Kabhi Kabhie, Trishul, Kasme Vaade, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Jurmana and Barsaat Ki Ek Raat in the 1970s and just a year earlier in 1981! She also played his ‘bhabhi’ in Shaan (1980).
Also, the casting depends on the individual salability of the actresses concerned. Thus, when indicated by a combination of such ‘commercial’ factors and a film’s needs, a ‘senior’ Kareena Kapoor Khan is still chosen by Aamir Khan in his latest film, Laal Singh Chaddha, by Ajay Devgn in Singham Again and by Akshay Kumar in Good Newwz. And Kareena is a mere 15 years younger than the three Khans. Akshay is a 1967-born star, and Ajay was born in 1969.
Young (er) ‘uns!
But Anushka Sharma, who has worked with all three Khans (who are 1965 born), is a whopping 23 years younger than all three of them! And as for Sonakshi Sinha, Salman Khan was born 22 years before her, and Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn are respectively 20 and 18 years her seniors. Katrina Kaif is 18 years junior to all the three Khans, while Priyanka Chopra is 17 years younger to Salman and Shah Rukh. And Sonam Kapoor is 18 years younger to Akshay Kumar and 20 years junior to Salman Khan!
Deepika Padukone is 21 years younger to Shah Rukh Khan, who introduced her in Om Shanti Omand did many more movies with her, and 19 years younger than Akshay Kumar, while Jacqueline Fernandez was born two decades after Salman and 18 years after Akshay Kumar. Nayanthara is 19 years younger than her Jawan co-star Shah Rukh Khan.
But the de-aging buck does not stop here, and there are younger and far younger co-stars who have worked with these superstars, we need not add, not always successfully or with consistent or sizzling chemistry.
Here is a list, with some actresses mentioned in bold font as they have done more than one film with the actor.
Salman Khan: Rashmika Mandanna, Pooja Hegde, Disha Patani & Daisy Shah
Shah Rukh Khan: Alia Bhatt
Akshay Kumar: Regina Cassandra, Nimrat Kaur, Vaani Kapoor, Manushi Chhillar, Parineeti Chopra, Mrunal Thakur, Rakul Preet Singh, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Bhumi Pednekar, Kriti Sanon, Sara Ali Khan, Kiara Advani, Pooja Hegde, Mouni Roy, Radhika Apte & Ileana D’Cruz
Ajay Devgn: Vaani Kapoor, Ileana D’Cruz, Diana Penty, Rakul Preet Singh, Parineeti Chopra, Sayyeshaa, Yami Gautam & Manasvi Mamgai
And so the cake is taken by the Sikandar team-up of Salman Khan (born 1965) with Priyamani (birth year 1996)—a yawning chasm of 31 years, followed by the runner-up confection being Shah Rukh Khan having a hint of a romance in Dear Zindagi with Alia Bhatt, who is 28 years his junior! Interestingly, for both these superstars, these films were home productions.
Age is just a number. Of the co-star’s age.
(Used under special arrangement with NIT)
