Salt or pepper?

Guru

Among his finest roles to date,Abhishek Bachchan’s transition in Guru,from a man in his youth right up to his fifites,may be a tad over-the-top but it was mostly smooth. While Mani Ratnam can be credited for extracting such a nuanced performance,Bachchan did play out the character of a partly paralysed yet determined businessman with ease.

Ranbir Kapoor

Tata Docomo ad

It is quite an achievement that it takes more than an instant to recognise Ranbir Kapoor in the Tata Docomo ad. His gait,look and make-up do not betray his identity instantly. For someone who is currently the national heartthrob,it take guts to play an older character,even if it is for a TV commercial. It is also rumoured that this is one of his looks in his upcoming film Barfi and this could be a perfect platform to promote the film.

Akshay Kumar

Action Replayy and Mannapuram Gold Loan ad

He did both the parts and in the same year. Neither of them looked convincing. The get-up suits him fine but in Action Replayy,it is his performance that lacks authenticity. He evidently looks like a young man in an old person’s get-up. His ad for Mannapuram Gold Loan,with his curly greys and a moustache,came across as what it was intended to be — a caricature.

Shah Rukh Khan

Dish TV ad and Veer Zaara

Shah Rukh Khan may be struggling to retain his number one position in Bollywood but his constant experimentation with looks ensures that he is ahead in the race. Be it the geeky look in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,his many avatars in the “Pappu aur Papa” ad series for a toothpaste brand or the curly-haired look as a Tamil Brahmin in Ra.One. He turned old for the first time in 2004 for Veer Zaara and then as a septuagenarian last year for a DishTV ad. Khan,even in his over-the-top ways,carries off these looks effortlessly.

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan

Action Replayy and Guru

The two performances could not have been more far apart. While in Action Replayy,Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan plays a woman in her fifties,she certainly does not appear so. In her role as a fashionista,she could pass off as a 30-year-old even as Akshay Kumar plays the aged husband with a mop of grey on his head. In contrast,she deserves an applause for her part in Guru,where she forgoes the make-up and neatly ties up her chalk-flecked hair in a bun. Her gait and body language supported her assumed part.

Priyanka Chopra

7 Khoon Maaf

The very first promo of 7 Khoon Maaf was promising. It’s the story of a fickle woman who spends her whole life — from her twenties to sixties — in search of true love. That the film was directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and had Priyanka Chopra playing the lead role,added to the excitement. But what showed up was make-up that most critics said could have been more varied. Except for a few jarring grey strands and a change in her wardrobe,Chopra’s look and body language didn’t dramatically different.