Aamir to Kamal Haasan: Normalizing Big Age Gaps?

Casting choices decide how real a film feels. Sometimes they click, other times they spark controversy. One debate that refuses to fade is the age gap in casting, and fans continue to call out filmmakers for normalising it.

You often see a huge age difference between actors playing siblings or even lovers. In Sitaare Zameen Par, viewers noticed Aamir Khan, in his 60s, romancing 38-year-old Genelia Deshmukh. The pairing looked forced, and Trollers quickly highlighted the problem.

In 2021, the Malayalam film One featured Mammootty, now 73, as the brother of Nimisha Sajayan, who is just 28. Likewise, Kamal Haasan, aged 70, played the lover of 42-year-old Trisha Krishnan in Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life.

The issue goes beyond numbers. It reflects a pattern where producers treat female leads as replaceable. Younger actresses are often cast only because they’re trending. Rashmika Mandanna, after Pushpa 2, became the go-to face for several big projects.

Some actors think working with younger women makes them appear youthful and cool. In truth, it does the opposite. It makes them look disconnected and, in some cases, predatory. Many avoid being paired with women their own age on screen.

When asked, actors usually blame audience demand. But the real question is why these stars, with so much influence, don’t push for change. By staying silent, they reinforce a system where women lose career opportunities far earlier than men.

For men, lead roles last into their late 60s and 70s. For women, opportunities shrink after their 30s. Even when Sitaare Zameen Par cast an actress in her late 30s, fans called it progressive. Yet the age gap problem remains unsolved and demands attention.