Old Women: Young Men: when Bollywood broke the stereotype

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan playing an older divorced poetess in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, who gets into a passionate relationship with a much younger Ranbir Kapoor is not the first time when Bollywood paired an older woman with a younger man.

Romantic comedy Ki & Ka made a statement on both gender role reversal and Bollywood age norms by bringing Kareena Kapoor Khan together with younger male actor Arjun Kapoor.

Here are 9  instances when Bollywood broke the stereotype. 

 

Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

This coming-of-age film redefined the idea of friendship for our generation. Apart from that it also made a younger man's love interest in an older woman seem normal in our otherwise backward society. When Akshaye Khanna falls for Dimple Kapadia, a divorcee, we buy into the story. Even though the romance never takes off, the idea is seeded into our heads and we are left hoping for a happy ending.

 

Doosra Aadmi (1977)

A movie ahead of its time, Doosra Aadmi starring Raakhee Gulzar and Rishi Kapoor touched upon extra-marital affairs and forbidden love. Raakhee played a widow while Rishi played a newly-married man.

 

Shabd (2005)

College professor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan falls in love with younger colleague Zayed Khan as part of a ploy by her author husband Sanjay Dutt. The Leena Yadav-directed film made about Rs.5 crore at the box office.

 

Wake Up Sid (2009)

This coming-of-age film starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma broke stereotypes by showing how a young, confused, just-out-of-college boy falls in love with an independent, older writer

 

 

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012)

Shakun Batra’s directorial debut was a clutter-breaker in many ways bringing Kareena Kapoor Khan with the younger Imran Khan in one of the most unusual one-sided love stories in recent times. 

 

Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi(1996)

Akshay Kumar's explosive makeout sessions with the older woman Rekha in a quest to find out his brother’s whereabouts in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi was all things twisted and steamy.

 

 

Maya Memsaab (1993)

Early in his career, young Shah Rukh Khan was seen romancing Deepa Sahi in the Ketan Mehta-directed film about a woman’s desires and ambitions beyond marriage. Embroiled in several controversies at the time, it managed to earn slightly over Rs.1 crore at the box office.

 

B.A Pass (2013)

The crime drama directed by Ajay Bahl featured Shilpa Shukla (of Chak De India fame) seducing a teenager played by Shadab Kamal. This neo-noir film explored the questionable sexual relationship between a married woman (Shilpa Shukla) with a teenage boy (Shadab Kamal). 

 

Leela(2002)

Leela (played by Dimple Kapadia), the wife of a poet whose popularity quotient runs high in the ladies' circuit, finds herself troubled by her insignificance in his eyes. She plays a middle-aged visiting professor to the US who gets into a complicated relationship with her student, played by Amol Mhatre.