As Akshay-Wamiqa Pair Up In Bhooth Bangla, Here's A Look At Films Pairing Older Actors With Much Younger Actresses

Hyderabad: The pairing of superstar Akshay Kumar and actor Wamiqa Gabbi in the upcoming film Bhooth Bangla has once again brought the debate of age differences in Bollywood romantic pairings into the spotlight.

Though the practice of casting much older male actors with significantly younger actresses in Hindi films has been going on for decades, the issue still brings about a lot of discussion among movie-goers.

Addressing the issue, Akshay Kumar recently shared his views in an interview with a newswire. Talking about the age-gap chatter, he said, "Toh kya hai? Humne pehle dekha nahi hai kya kabhi? (So what? Haven't we seen this before?) It happens in Hollywood as well. Sometimes, it's the requirement of the script. (In real life, too), So many people get married to partners older or younger than them."

As the debate gains attention again, here is a look at some films where leading Bollywood stars were paired with much younger actresses:

1. Dabangg 3 - Salman Khan and Saiee Manjrekar | Age gap: 36 years

When the flick hit theatres, Salman Khan was 54, while Saiee Manjrekar was 18.

2. Sikandar - Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna | Age gap: 31 years

Around the time of its release, Salman Khan was 59, and Rashmika Mandanna was 28.

3. Samrat Prithviraj - Akshay Kumar & Manushi Chhillar | Age gap: 30 years

During the film's release period, Akshay Kumar was 55, while Manushi Chhillar was 25.

4. Sooryavansham - Amitabh Bachchan & Soundarya | Age gap: 30 years

Back when the film was released, Amitabh Bachchan was 57, and Soundarya was 27.

5. Lal Badshah - Amitabh Bachchan and Manisha Koirala | Age gap: 28 years

At that point in time, Amitabh Bachchan was 57, while Manisha Koirala was 29.

6. Tiku Weds Sheru - Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur | Age gap: 27 years

When the film was released, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was 48, and Avneet Kaur was 21.

7. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma | Age gap: 23 years

At the time this film was released, Shah Rukh Khan was 43, while Anushka Sharma was 20.

8. Dunki - Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu | Age gap: 22 years

By the time of its release, Shah Rukh Khan was 58 and Taapsee Pannu was 36.

9. Ghajini - Aamir Khan and Asin | Age gap: 20 years

When Ghajini arrived in cinemas, Aamir Khan was 43, while Asin was 23.

10. Himmatwala - Ajay Devgn and Tamannaah Bhatia | Age gap: 20 years

At the time of the film's release, Ajay Devgn was 43, and Tamannaah Bhatia was 23.

11. Dhurandhar: The Revenge - Ranveer Singh & Sara Arjun | Age gap: 20 years

In the recently released film Dhurandhar 2, Ranveer Singh (40) appears opposite Sara Ajun (20), creating an age gap of 20 years.

The debate around age gap romances in Bollywood has been ongoing. Discussions around casting choices in Hindi cinema are once again in the spotlight after Akshay Kumar and Wamiqa Gabbi's on-screen pair.