Aamir Khan, Salman Khan defend romancing younger heroines, say it depends on the story, brings freshness; Kajol, Twinkle Khanna rebut: ‘But it doesn’t happen the other way round’

“So, when the hero romances a younger heroine, it’s called cinema magic. But when an older heroine romances a younger man, it’s called ‘bold.’ Why do you think that is?,” Kajol asked. Aamir blamed it on the story and its requirement. He quoted the example of his seminal 2001 film, Farhan Akhtar’s buddy movie Dil Chahta Hai, in which a younger Akshaye Khanna was cast opposite an older Dimple Kapadia, co-host Twinkle’s mother.

When Twinkle countered that Aamir, 60, has always had younger heroines as co-stars, like Kareena Kapoor, 45, in 3 Idiots (2009), Talaash (2012), and most recently Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), Aamir asked, “But did Bebo and I not look the same age?” Salman joked yet again, “You did not, I did,” having romanced Kareena in films like Kyon Ki… (2005), Bodyguard (2011), and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015).

“Filmmaking is not real, you have to understand that,” Aamir said, adding, “Will you actually die if you’re dying on screen? It has to look right.” Twinkle countered, “It’s not like that. But it’s never the other way. By the time, you’re 40 or 50, you’re already playing the heroine’s mother. So, there’s definitely a difference.”

‘We’ve worked with older heroines so much that the pai’ring looks dated now’

Salman Khan finally weighed in on the matter, arguing that their contemporaries, or even seniors like Madhuri Dixit, 58, or the late Sridevi, if she was still alive, could’ve continued to play the leading ladies opposite them. “But if there’s an upcoming star that the producer or director wants… we’ve worked with older heroines so much that the pairing looks dated now. So, it’s more about freshness. So, that’s when you take somebody you’ve not worked with as much,” said Salman.

When Kajol reiterated that it doesn’t happen the other way, Salman responded, “But how many scripts like that do you really get? But I don’t think that if the movie is good, and the story is really woven around an older woman and a younger man, I don’t think anybody would mind that,” argued Salman.

Twinkle Khanna then reminded them, “It’s clearly a man’s world.” When Salman argued that men have taken over kitchens at home or in restaurants now, the hosts pointed out that it’s paid labour, unlike what the less privileged homemakers are subjected to. Kajol didn’t let the argument go and asked, “How is it not a male-dominated society?” To which, Salman quipped that their own husbands — Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar — are also dominated by Kajol and Twinkle, respectively.

“I feel in our society, unfortunately we don’t treat human beings equally irrespective of their gender or sexual orientation,” admitted Aamir Khan. Twinkle then joked that there’s “some equality” in Salman’s films because more than the heroine, it’s the leading man who’s more objectified. “Salman shows more cleavage and legs than the heroine, so there’s equality,” Twinkle said.

Also Read: Kajol called Salman Khan ‘uncle’ the first time they met, Twinkle Khanna rode her cycle into a ditch as she was busy gawking Salman-Sangeeta Bijlani

Salman claimed that he’s even asked his leading ladies to change their more revealing outfits into something more covered. “Firstly, this is how our culture is. Now, you’re watching a movie with your parents and grandparents. When you happen to see such scenes, you do feel awkward. And I believe that if you want people to come in their 20s and 30s, then people should not feel awkward seeing that,” said Salman, and Aamir agreed.