Real life happy-ever-afters

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TRUE LOVE: (From left to right) Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan; Akshay Khanna and Twinkle Khanna
TRUE LOVE: (From left to right) Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan; Akshay Khanna and Twinkle Khanna

Five power couples in Bollywood, who have the perfected the script of 'Made for Each Other'

By Khalid Mohamed

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Published: Fri 17 Jun 2016, 5:37 PM

Last updated: Fri 24 Jun 2016, 9:50 AM

Now, if I were to select the five 'Made for Each Other' couples of Bollywood, it wouldn't need much brain scratching. Because I'm going to be purely subjective.
Inevitably, some of them have had to surmount rocky phases. These have been resolved within the four walls of their homes, instead of sparking acrimonious controversies in the media.
Each one of the couples can be proud of the fact that they're in a happy zone today. There are no signs at all of one impinging on the distinct identity of the other. No signs of gender inequality.
That's actually a tough balance to strike in the ego-centric, male-dominated enclave of Bollywood. But what do you know? They've managed to assert that - unlike the rash of estrangements and divorces in B-town nowadays - it can still be all about loving the family.

ANIL KAPOOR & SUNITA KAPOOR
Married for 32 years now, Anil couldn't have survived his initial days of struggle without the support of Sunita. She'd even pay for his cab fares during their years of courtship. A woman of impeccable taste, she is a connoisseur of Indian art, a jewellery designer, and had spread awareness about staying fit by starting a chain of gyms when they hadn't become a fad yet. Not surprisingly, she monitors Anil's diet and fitness regimen, accounting for Mr India's ageless physique at the age of 59.
Currently, Anil is in the throes of television series production. The Indian adaptation of 24 has been scheduled for a second season. Rights have been acquired for adapting Prison Break and Modern Family. Needless to add, Anil and Sunita are the support systems of Sonam, Rhea and Harshvardhan, who have inherited the congenial manners of their parents.

RISHI KAPOOR & NEETU SINGH KAPOOR
He's 63, she's 57, and they've been married for 36 years. Right now, he's rocking the screen with roles commensurate with his age, even segueing into the role of a prosthetics-enhanced grandpa in the widely appreciated Kapoor and Sons.
After making a comeback with her husband in Do Dooni Chaar and a clutch of films, Neetu hasn't signed up for any new project. Reason: no script has excited her. Unbeknownst to many, she had nixed the part of Kareena Kapoor Khan's mother in Ki and Ka, which was eventually enacted by Swaroop Sampat. Also, she admits frankly, "I'm a bit lazy. Why wake up early in the morning and spend hours at the studios? But if there's a role which has sufficient substance, I'd grab it without a second thought."
Both Rishi and Neetu have conceded that, some years ago, their marriage was under stress. The differences were sorted. "I am not an easy person to live with," Rishi has admitted. "Neetu deserves a medal for tolerating my idiosyncrasies." A perfectly 'awwww' statement that.

AKSHAY KUMAR & TWINKLE KHANNA
He's 48, she's 42, and rang in their 15th wedding anniversary in January this year. Twinkle had teamed up with Akshay in Zulmi and International Khiladi, but was never quite sure whether she wished to continue as the typical Bollywood heroine.
The Khiladi has been tamed. No longer a staple of tabloid gossip, he's on the cellphone frequently to check out how it's going on home turf. Parents to two kids, the camera-friendly pair continue to be in the news for more positive reasons: he for notching up consecutive hits; she for being proficient in running her home décor outlets, besides writing a fortnightly column, Mrs Funny Bones, in The Times of India. Hopefully, a novel figures on her wish-to-do list.

SAIF ALI KHAN & KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN (aka SAIFEENA)
Rumours go that Kareena is to become a mother some five months from now, which have neither been confirmed nor denied. Only dad Randhir Kapoor has stated, "I hope it's true, because it's about time."
Kareena, 35, and Saif, 45, have been married for over three years. It was his second marriage after his first one to the feisty actress Amrita Singh in 1991. In the case of Saifeena, she can be calm and collected, while he can lose his cool at public places. A classic case of opposites attract.

RITEISH DESHMUKH & GENELIA D'SOUZA
They were first seen in the romcom Tujhe Meri Kasam 13 years ago. The buzz went that Riteish's father, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, wasn't exactly ecstatic about their romance but, as in the movies, there was a happy ending.
Riteish, 37, and Genelia, 28, after four years of marriage, are parents to two sons. After a lull, Riteish's career has stabilised, particularly after the success of the Marathi film Lai Bhaari. A trained architect, he has also bifurcated into the area of film production. Genelia hasn't quit her acting career. She fetches up in ads, and a feature film is in the final stages of post-production. Apparently, Genelia has always made her own career decisions, and will continue to do so. Way to be.


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