Nayandeep Rakshot (DNA; January 18,. 2015)

Tides are shifting in the industry. At a time when 50-year-old heroes are romancing heroines half their age, Karan Johar and R Balki are bringing much needed change — Ki And Ka and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil — both films having younger actors romancing actresses older to them.

Ask Amitabh Bachchan about it and he welcomes the change. “I think this should have been done years back. Characters in films should never be restricted by age and it doesn’t matter what the gap is, the actors have to play their parts well.”

He’s also romanced Tabu in Cheeni Kum and a much younger Jiah Khan in Nishabd. Any plans of going down the same road again? Pat comes the response. “Ya, we tried doing it with Nishabd and it was a failure (smiles). So it won’t happen now. The audience could not accept a 60-year-old man romancing an 18 year old girl. So definitely, I am not going to get a leading lady from this generation.”

Does he regret it? “Obviously, I do. When you have such talented and wonderful heroines in the industry, you wish they could be your leading ladies too. But that period is over. I cannot romance a Deepika or a Kangana. It’s not my cup of tea. Also, it won’t happen because nowadays, I am only getting character roles or character-oriented roles. That’s what I am doing.”