High-def cameras on television and film are not celebrity-friendly! Bring back the soft filters and fog lights!
It's really clear on the big screen when there's a massive age gap between stars. Now, with high-def TV, it's also clear at home—no wonder many celebrities famously request filters.
This high-def screengrab of Sridevi with Amitabh Bachchan in their first film together, Inquilaab (1984)—successful as it was—makes the age gap suddenly, vividly clear.
Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942; Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963. The difference between them is 20 years and about 11 months. Their on-screen pairings, like in Khuda Gawah (1992), where the gap was noted as around 21 years at the time (Amitabh ~50, Sridevi ~29), or in Inquilaab (around 20+ years: Amitabh ~41–42, Sridevi ~20–21), have been mentioned in online reviews and film writing, features, analysis and journals.
Age gaps between senior actors and increasingly younger actresses are so common in Bollywood even today that no one bats an eye. A few self-proclaimed feminists will rant online and on social media, to absolutely no effect. Hell, the MeToo movement in Bollywood and Indian cinema created headlines but brought about nominal, verifiably little change despite all the rooftop soapbox yelling. All the accused may have gone off radar for a while, but seem to be back at work once again and making their money with full employment and little to no recourse.
The fact of the matter is that change in Bollywood only comes about when there's monetary impact; if it affected the box office, things would evolve rapidly. If the audience boycotted actors who have been accused of heinous crimes, or boycotted uncomfortable age gaps, the industry would do a 180 on its own. Market forces would force improvements. Until then, you'll see Salman Khan romancing Disha Patani, despite their age gap of 27 years!
Funny how the tables have never turned. a mature leading lady with a younger male co-star has never really caused ripples. A 20-year age gap between stars would be, for example, Madhuri Dixit and a contemporary star today would be—if she were working in a film with Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan, or Kartik Aaryan—but would it ever happen?! Would be unthinkable to most film producers bar none
Remember the fuss the media made when the divine Aishwarya Rai Bachchan worked with Ranbir Kapoor in Ae Dil Hai Mushqil and old hacks like RS brought it up in interviews?! Trying to get a response from the unfazed Rai-Bachchan?! Ash was nearly 9 years older, but looked phenomenal in the film, styled to perfected by the Dharma crew. Since then, we see no signs of older actrresses with younger co-stars.
