Bollywood has had some major failures these past few years, especially due to conversations in the public discourse regarding real talent as well as nepotism. However, one must never forget the countless successes that the industry has had in the past. The quality of a lot of movies in different genres has been great. One genre that has been exceptionally successful in its work has been romance. Bollywood romances just shine differently altogether. They have created some very unrealistic expectations for the religious viewers out there. All those movies with Shahrukh Khan and his antics have created a lot of goals for people of many generations in India as well as abroad.
Bollywood movies With Full Romance
Not only youngsters but Bollywood movies have also dwelled into romances following older people and their particular life circumstances. Some filmmakers have done a great job at portraying older couples in a positive light, so much so that some of them can be hailed as goals. These couples, in their respective movies, have been wholesome. It could be the retro romance or the black-and-white filter that obscures the image on the screen. Bollywood is great at making us have unrealistic expectations for our romantic relationships. The first is a game changer, while the second has been destroying our romantic relationships for years.
Yes, it can be challenging to properly celebrate someone in your age group getting married or moving in with their long-term spouse without having a sense of nostalgia (most likely as an effect of the loneliness). However, seeing older couples who have been together for some time and are still incredibly in love makes the audience grin even more. Particularly in Bollywood films.
Without romance, Bollywood films would not be what they are. Indeed, it has produced the most memorable love stories in history. Hindi films frequently depict an ageist representation of love relationships. There appears to be a scarcity of middle-aged partners falling in love in Bollywood romances. It would be incorrect to claim that the idea has not changed, nevertheless.
Famous Older Couples From Bollywood Films
These are some of the Bollywood movies which have portrayed older couples in a much more positive and wholesome way.
- Badhaai Ho
Badhaai Ho celebrates its fourth anniversary this year, and Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao were the film’s heart and soul. Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao’s portrayals of middle-aged parents in the film were a triumph in busting the myth that mothers are elderly. Despite not being a traditional love story, Mr. and Mrs. Kaushik’s relationship throughout a late pregnancy was absolutely worth watching.
Mr. and Mrs. Kaushik (Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta) were adorable and appealing in Badhaai Ho because of the playful chemistry they shared. There was gentleness and mutual respect in the way that they treated one another. Moreover, their admiration for one another was definitely something everyone aspires to have.
Two adult sons are raised by Priyamvada and Jeetu. One of them, Nakul, considers himself to be of ‘marriageable age.’ The movie dispels the taboo of long-married couples giving up their sexual lives. When Nakul learns that his parents are expecting their third child, he feels ashamed of them. But he gradually realises that he was mistaken and that his mother’s pregnancy simply demonstrates how much she adores her husband. Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao do a fantastic job portraying Priyamvada and Jeetu.
- The Lunchbox
Ila’s (Nimrat Kaur) tiffin carrier, intended for her husband, is accidentally delivered to Saajan Fernandes by the renowned Mumbai dabbawalas (Irrfan Khan). While Ila is an unhappy housewife who lives with her husband and daughter, Saajan is a solitary widower. They form an unusual bond and start communicating via letters. They eventually decide to meet, but never actually do.
- Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain
This Varanasi-based film examines the ebb and flow of a middle-aged couple’s relationship. Kiran Batra’s husband, Yashwant seems unconcerned about her feelings when she decides upon leaving the house. But he quickly starts to sense her absence. Then he decides to win her back by demonstrating tenderness he has never shown before. As the Batras, Sanjay Mishra and Ekavali Khanna are stunning.
- Khatta Meetha
The 1978 Khatta Meetha, which inspired Golmaal 3, revolves around a soon-to-retire Parsi widower who senses the desire for an emotional connection to sharing his happiness, grief and four sons in order to get through the rest of his life. He meets a life companion in an elderly, unmarried Parsi mother of three. The enraged kids on either side of this result in comic consequences.
Khatta Meetha was unusual for its day but Ashok Kumar and Pearl Padamsee give their characters a charming appeal that is both uplifting and believable when it comes to the idea of remarrying at any age.
- Baghban
Raj Malhotra (Amitabh Bachchan) and Pooja Malhotra (Hema Malini) were partners, closest friends, and soul mates all rolled into one. They laughed together, came to know each other like the back of their hands, ate ice cream together (one of the most crucial things, in my opinion), and endured adverse conditions together as any good team would. Not to mention, one felt just as bad about being apart. What more do you need?
This may appear like a typical family drama where the elderly parents want their offspring to take care of them in their old age but their youngsters view and consider them as a burden. However, the ancient couple, who have a kinship that is far stronger than any other, have an ongoing romance despite the arguments and turmoil. If you believe that romance ends when a couple reaches senior citizen status, think again.
- Shirin Farhad ki toh Nikal Padi
A man and a lady over the age of forty, live single lives in the middle of a rapidly decreasing Parsi community. They have not had time to consider love because they do not necessarily feel the need for it. They seem content and preoccupied with their personal lives and commitments, right until they get to meet one another. An unusual love story with its own flavour of romance and quirky eccentricities comes next.
In Bela Bhansali Sehgal’s directorial debut, which was released in 2012, actor Boman Irani and choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan embrace unusual at its frothiest best to portray Shirin and Farhad and how the two discover each other a little late in the day.
Few Final Words
In movies, love is frequently portrayed as being fresh and young. In high school, college or at their first job, the protagonist ends up falling in love with a high school sweetheart or maybe a co‐employee. Teenagers and young adults dominate the romance genre, with an even smaller percentage of films devoted to elder couples. While there are far fewer romantic films that explore the lives and relationships of older characters, there are many wonderful examples, thanks to the experience of older actors on the romantic scene.
Along with a level of sophistication not seen in high school romances, these adult love stories frequently convey the notion that you don’t have to be youthful to discover love, start something different and have fun doing it. This list had stories that made people believe that love has no age indeed. These old couples were wholesome and adorable, giving us all unrealistic expectations for romance yet again.
