Bollywood inspires us in every choice of our lives, right from our sense of style to fashion and even our fitness trends. However, Bollywood is the ultimate source of inspiration when it comes to romance. Not only on-screen but also in the real-life, some Bollywood couples are looked upon as the epitome of love. These couples have proved that love transcends everything. Let us have a look at six such inspiring real-life couples in Indian cinema.
1. Amitabh-Jaya
Considered to be the golden couple of Bollywood, Amitabh and Jaya have been through their fair share of controversies. Yet, they have emerged out with their heads held high, and their love for each other stronger than ever. The tall, dark and handsome, Amitabh Bachchan, fell in love with the petite damsel, Jaya Bhaduri, and they tied the knot on June 3, 1973. At this time, Jaya was already an established actor, while Amitabh had just tasted success with his first solo hit, Zanjeer (which co-starred Jaya). Amitabh further found success as the ‘angry young man’ and went on to become a superstar. However, this happy couple faced problems quite early in their marriage. The rumours of a love affair between Amitabh and Rekha strained their relationship. During the filming of Silsila, Yash Chopra openly talked about Amitabh and Rekha and said that the atmosphere during the shoot was extremely tense. However, despite all the odds, Jaya and Amitabh survived this turmoil and their marriage still stands strong. Jaya stood by her husband in every crisis. She even gave him support when he was accused in the Bofors scam or when he was under a whopping Rs. 90 crore debt. When the couple celebrated more than four decades of togetherness, Amitabh Bachchan had shared a very beautiful moment of the two on his Twitter account. He tweeted one of his old pictures with Jaya Bachchan on his 42nd wedding anniversary and thanked all his fans for their best wishes. Now isn’t that something really adorable?
2. Akshay-Twinkle
This is a union against all odds. Akshay Kumar, the true Khiladi of Bollywood, was quite the ladies’ man. The rumour mills were always abuzz about his affairs and liking towards Raveena Tandon, Pooja Batra and Shilpa Shetty. His playboy image, however, did not deter Twinkle Khanna from falling in love with him. The wedding bells for this sweet couple rang in the year 2001. Being married to one of the most sought-after actors in Bollywood, who sometimes went on to release three to four films a year, was never an easy ride for Twinkle. Akshay’s name was consistently linked with his co-stars even after their marriage. But, Twinkle never let this bother her. She proved to be a perfect wife; supporting her hubby in every high and low. After bowing out from the industry as an actress, Twinkle established herself as a successful interior designer and writer. The couple are the proud parents of two kids- Aarav and Nitara.
3. Dharmendra-Hema
The original He-Man of Bollywood was a married man, but that did not stop him from being besotted by the Dream Girl, Hema Malini. Hema, initially remained aloof to his advances as she did not want to get involved with someone who was married. However, on the sets of the epic film Sholay, their love blossomed. This couple soon hit a rough patch, when Dharmendra’s first wife, Prakash Kaur, refused to give him a divorce. Hema was wooed by Sanjeev Kumar as well as Jeetendra. In fact, her biographer claims that Hema Malini almost got married to Jeetendra. But, when Dharmendra made up his mind, there was no looking back after that. He, however, did not leave his first wife and chose to convert to Islam, so that he and Hema could get married. Both the actors converted to Islam in 1979, changed their names to Dilawar Khan Kewal Krishn and Aisha Bi R. Chakravarty, and got married. The couple has two children, Esha and Ahana.
4. Shah Rukh-Gauri
Shah Rukh and Gauri’s love saga seems more like a fairytale or like the romantic films, which the actor does. But, this ‘happily ever after’ story had its own highs and lows. While dating, Shah Rukh sometimes, was a little over-possessive about Gauri. This enraged Gauri at times and once she even left for Mumbai without telling him. Distressed Shah Rukh borrowed some money from his mother and went after her. After some frantic searching from his part, the couple reunited and realised that they cannot stay apart, anymore. Gauri’s parents were against this match because not only did Shah Rukh belong to a different religion, he was also just a struggling actor at that time with no financial stability. But, Shah Rukh’s charm won them over and the duo had a registered marriage, a Hindu style wedding and also a nikah. The couple has been blessed with two amazing children, Aryan and Suhana. They have another son through surrogacy, AbRam. Shah Rukh’s on-screen lover boy image has never made Gauri insecure about their relationship. She has remained by his side through every thick and thin.
5. Rishi-Neetu
The original lover boy of Bollywood, Rishi Kapoor fell head over heels in love with his co-star, Neetu Singh. Their reel life chemistry was already a success at the box office and had set the hearts of millions of young fans on fire. It was now the time to do khullam khulla pyar in real life too. Neetu, who was just 21 at the time of the wedding and one of the most sought-after actresses, chose to leave the Bollywood post-marriage. A lot of people speculated that it was a “forced retirement”, but Neetu silenced the rumour mills saying that it was her personal choice. Neetu maintained that Rishi was a supportive husband and never asked her to leave her career. Rishi and Neetu are blessed with two children, Ranbir and Riddhima. Neetu made a comeback and starred with her husband in Love Aaj Kal, Do Dooni Chaar and Jab Tak Hai Jaan, and she again dazzled the audiences and the critics with her performance.
6. Saif-Kareena
On the sets of the movie, Tashan is when Pataudi prince, Saif Ali Khan fell in love with Kareena Kapoor. During the rough patch of Kareena and Shahid relationship, Saif and Bebo started dating in October 2007 and their love went steadily well. After dating for 5 years, the couple tied the nuptial knot with due respect for each other religion. Even though they both are born from a different cultural background, it didn’t affect their relationship at all. Their marriage broke all the barriers of culture, religion and even age.The Chote Nawab and his Begum were blessed with their share of love in the form of the cutest baby boy of Bollywood world, Taimur Ali Khan.
