Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; April 18, 2015)

Friends of Shahid Kapoor say that when the actor shifts lock, stock and barrel from his current apartment in Raj Classic to his fancy sea-facing apartment in Juhu, he is bound to feel a void. And the one person he will miss deeply is his stepmother Supriya Pathak Kapur. Sasha's folks - father Pankaj Kapur, stepmom Supriya and his two siblings also reside in Raj Classic. Though the actor had his own flat in that building, he spent long hours with his family downstairs.

While he loves his father to a fault, the one with whom he shared a special bond with is his stepmum Supriya. Often describing her as a very loving person, the award-winning actor has confessed how she has always been there for him in the capacity of a parent. On her part, Supriya has gone on record to say that Shahid not only helped in cementing her marriage with Pankaj, his constant presence is also very reassuring for her family. Candidly, she has said her immediate family has five members with Shahid being one of the most instrumental. Demonstrating his love and tremendous respect for Supriya, Shahid clapped loudest when she picked up the award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Ram Leela. And it is said that Supriya and his father Pankaj's acceptance of Mira Rajput was prime on his mind when he forged his alliance with the Delhi college student. In other words, Supriya's word carries a lot of weight for Shahid.

Well, a closer look shows how Supriya and Shahid are not the only step-mother and son who share such a close tie. There are several other examples.

Salman Khan, who is the apple of his mother Salma's eye, has the highest regard for Helen, his father Salim Khan's second wife. While Salma herself has been a picture of grace when it came to accepting Helen publicly, Salman was not far behind. Not only does he give Helen the dignity she deserves as an elder, he also gives her the solace of a son. Salman is also instrumental in making sure Helen is given her due on public platforms. Be it the Lifetime Achievement Award or asking her to be a show-stopper for his label's fashion show, the actor has never shied away from demonstrating his feelings for his stepmother.

A filmmaker adds, “If Salim and Javed were asked to reprise that famous Deewar dialogue between Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan, the writers would probably rephrase it saying - 'Tumhare paas kya hai?' And Shashi's reply to Amitabh would probably be, 'Mere paas stepmom hai'.“ Jokes apart, it is heartening to see the sweet-natured relationship blossom between some big shot industry sons and their step-parents.

Farhan Akhtar, too, may have had difficulty accepting the presence of Shabana Azmi in his father Javed Akhtar's life. His mother Honey Irani rightly pointed out that. However, Honey herself also added that while Shabana didn't rush the children Zoya and Farhan into accepting her, in due time Farhan did grow to respect the other woman in his father's life. Now, for every celebration in his life, Shabana is a permanent fixture on Farhan's side.

Aamir Khan admits that his life is simpler now because he has been fortunate to find two very lovely women. One is ex-wife Reena, the mother of his two children Junaid and Ira. And the current love of his life Kiran, who, besides being a fabulous parent to his youngest-born Azad, is also a friend to Junaid and Ira. Not only does Kiran share their passion for piano and certain sports, she is also their “permanent friend“ in their father's house.

Like Kiran, Kareena Kapoor Khan too shares a healthy relationship with Saif's teenage children, Sara and Ibrahim. While Saif himself makes it a point to spend ample time with them, Bebo also makes it a point to include Sara and Ibrahim in family outings.

Some brain-dead Bollywood films have continued with those stepmother stereotypes that wrinkle their noses at their step-children.But it is heartening to know, that in the real world, the script reads very differently. Stepmums are cool customers. And, many of them have their sensible wards to thank for this happy situation.