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With Ae Dil Hai Mushkil promotions shifting into high gear ahead of its Diwali release, audiences and critics alike have been expressing shock and appreciation at the heat generated by Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. We say: what’s so surprising?! Two hot individuals looking hot together in a film whose director specializes in making his actors look, well, hot, is to be expected. The real reason people are surprised, of course, is because Aishwarya is nine years older than Ranbir, and even in an industry where leading men are frequently twenty or more years older than their heroines, a May/December romance between and older woman and a younger man is almost unheard of.
We offer the promo material of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil as proof that when it comes to chemistry, age is just a number. What’s more, we’d like to suggest 7 other older actress-younger actor jodis we think would set the screen on fire and breathe new life into today’s Bollywood pairings!
Kajol/Varun
Yes, yes, we know they’ve already done a film together, but it’s high time we see these two onscreen as a romantic pair! Varun has been pretty vocal about his eagerness to work with the older generation of actresses, and judging by how stunning Kajol looked in Dilwale, it wouldn’t require any stretch of the imagination to see why she’d be desirable to a younger man. Given their amazing onscreen charisma and comedic chops, we’d love to see this jodi in a zany romantic comedy, where both their personalities could really shine!
Madhuri/Fawad
Madhuri Dixit is poetry in motion. And Fawad Khan has exactly the kind of suave, old-world charm that would compliment her perfectly. These two starring in a passionate period drama (with lots of song picturizations, of course!) would be certain to make us all swoon.
Aishwarya/Sidharth
While we can’t wait to see Aishwarya back in a glamorous avatar in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, we think she shines the most as an actress in simpler roles. And like Aish, Sid has the looks of a Greek deity, but an earnest onscreen persona that almost makes you forget just how good-looking he is. We can see these two in a quiet love story, perhaps about a bored housewife who falls in love with the boy next door. Their combined beauty might just be too much for us to handle…but we’re willing to take that risk!
Rani/Ranveer
Both can make us laugh or cry with equal ease. Both know their way around the dance floor. And both have been immortalized on celluloid by the masterful Sanjay Leela Bhansali. We think Rani and Ranveer would suit each other perfectly for an out-and-out Bollywood musical in the same vein as Moulin Rouge. Both represent the best Bollywood has to offer, and we’re sure their chemistry would be scorching hot!
Sridevi/Hrithik
It would be an absolute dream come true to see Sridevi and Hrithik dancing together on film! We can imagine them in a gender-reversed version of Shall We Dance? with Hrithik as the teacher and Sridevi as the pupil and their relationship, though passionate, sitting just on the edge of romantic and platonic. It would certainly keep the audience guessing, and their feet tapping!
Kareena/Aditya
Kareena has already been paired successfully with younger actors like Imran Khan and Arjun Kapoor. Next, we’d love to see her romance Aditya Roy Kapur! Not only would the two look smashing together, her self-assuredness would play wonderfully against his humble, Every Man demeanor. As they say, opposites attract!
Sushmita/Ranbir
Sushmita Sen bares more than a passing resemblance to Anne Bancroft, the original Mrs. Robinson, while Ranbir Kapoor has all the earnestness of a young Dustin Hoffman. We would love to see these two in a movie like The Graduate, where Sush can fully unleash her innate sex appeal opposite a younger actor whom her presence won’t overwhelm. And Ranbir, for his part, has already proven he’s a pro when it comes to romancing an older woman!
