Younger actresses and older actor in a film have made Bollywood cash rich most of the times. Here’s how
Dear Zindagi releases this Friday which stars Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt. All this while we thought the two of them don’t have any romantic connection in the film but the release of the Aye Zindagi Gale Laga Le song yesterday made us believe that there could a whiff of romance between the two after all. It could be an one-sided affair for all we know but if it turns out to be true, it will be nothing less than history. SRK (51) romancing 23 year old Alia Bhatt will be a big deal, we feel so. It isn’t for the first time that such an age gap is noticed between the leads of a film. In fact, it got us wondering what is generally the fate of such movies and turns out they have more or less always worked at the box office. But then there were duds too. So here’s a list of films done by our 40 + A-listers with nearly half their age actresses and their B.O. verdict.
Sultan (2016)
Star cast: Salman Khan (Age: 50), Anushka Sharma (Age: 28)
Verdict: All Time Blockbuster
Salman Khan’s films are always awaited not only by his fans but by the industry as well because when it comes to him, the film is bound to be a super duper hit. And the industry needs cash flow in the form of revenue. Sultan earned more than 300 crore in the domestic market alone becoming the most successful film of this year. Salman’s chemistry with Anushka wasn’t the talking point of the film because it was mostly about Sultan’s rise, fall and rise again. But you cannot deny the fact that the two had a huge age difference and yet the audience lapped it up.
Happy New Year (2014)
Star cast: Shah Rukh Khan (Age: 49), Deepika Padukone (Age: 28)
Verdict: Blockbuster
Happy New Year was the best Diwali gift Shah Rukh Khan fans got in recent times. In fact, it was his last Diwali release which made oodles of money. At that time SRK was 49 years old while Deepika was 28, there was an exact 20 years difference between the two. But could you spot that difference? No right? Happy New Year is one of the highest grossing films of Indian Cinema.
Dhoom 3 (2013)
Star cast: Aamir Khan (Age: 48), Katrina Kaif (Age: 30)
Verdict: Blockbuster
Dhoom 3 had major flaws but it was presented beautifully and hence became one of the highest grossing films. Aamir and Katrina looked a bit off since the age gap was clearly visible but audience didn’t mind and made it a success.
Rustom (2016)
Star cast: Akshay Kumar (Age: 49), Ileana D’cruz (Age: 29)
Verdict: Superhit
Rustom is a film Akshay Kumar is very proud of and us too. It introduced today’s generation with a case that was a celebrated one in the year it happened. Also what people liked was Akshay and Ileana’s chemistry which was very refreshing because it was new. No wonder the film became such a big hit.
Shivaay (2016)
Star cast: Ajay Devgn (Age: 47), Erika Kaar (Age: 28)
Verdict: Still Running
Shivaay is still earning money at the box office and that says a lot about how Ajay Devgn and Erika Kaar’s chemistry got appreciated in the film. Nobody cared that there is a huge difference between the two because at the end it’s all about conviction and both of them looked very much in love with each other.
Mohenjo Daro
Star cast: Hrithik Roshan (Age: 42), Pooja Hegde (Age: 26)
Verdict: Disappointment
Mohenjo Daro clashed with Rustom this year and paid the price. The film couldn’t make much headway at the box office and went down to Akshay’s film. This time the audience couldn’t digest the romance between a 42 year old man and 26 year old girl. Mind you, it was a love story set in prehistoric times.
Rock On 2
Star cast: Farhan Akhtar (Age: 42), Shraddha Kapoor (Age: 29)
Verdict: Disaster
Rock On 2 was a sequel nobody wanted except for the makers perhaps. There was no buzz around the film and the demonetisation drive severed its case further. Even Farhan and Shraddha’s rumoured off screen affair couldn’t save the film either. Clearly, this jodi with a vast age difference was rejected by the audience outrightly.
So it’s clear that the formula of casting a older actor and younger actress in a film has worked at the box office most of the times.
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