Ahead of Daadi Ki Shaadi‘s release, here’s looking at Bollywood’s history of mature romances, from classics like Aandhi to modern hits like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, which showed that love needs no retirement age.

IMAGE: R Sarathkumar and Neetu Singh in Daadi Ki Shaadi.

Age ain’t a bar for education, work, having adventures and, of course, falling in love, though do make sure you are single when you do that! Also, consent matters!

Bollywood, which has served up love stories in almost every possible form, has never treated seniority as a limitation when it comes to romance.

Daadi Ki Shaadi explores one such relationship, where a lonely, elderly matriarch, played by Neetu Singh, wishes to marry a former army man with a shady past, portrayed by Tamil star R Sarathkumar, much to her family’s surprise. The film, which also stars Kapil Sharma, Sadia Khateeb and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, releases in theatres on May 8.

Of course, Daadi Ki Shaadi is far from the first Hindi film to explore mature romances. Sreeju Sudhakaran revisits 10 such Hindi movies that depicted how Love cannot be restricted by a retirement age.

Aandhi (1975)

IMAGE: Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar in Aandhi.

This classic by Gulzar featured Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen (in a role that was claimed to be inspired by Indira Gandhi) in two of their finest performances. Aandhi revolved around the relationship between a simple hotel manager and a woman from a powerful political family.

Their marriage does not last, but the emotional core of the drama lies in their reunion years later, when they realise they still harbour feelings for each other. If incompatibility was the villain of their first love story, political ambition threatens to derail their second chance at romance.

In Gulzar’s capable hands, Aandhi becomes one of the finest romantic dramas made in Bollywood, and is still cherished for its evergreen R D Burman songs, like Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi and Tum Aa Gaye Ho.

Hamare Tumhare (1979)

IMAGE: Raakhee Gulzar and Sanjeev Kumar in Hamare Tumhare.

Sanjeev Kumar and Raakhee play widowed individuals who decide to marry in order to preserve their dignity after false rumours about their affair begin circulating. Their respective children, however, are far from pleased and make each other’s lives miserable.

Hamare Tumhare arrived a year after the more memorable Khatta Meetha (1978), which explored a similar theme. But the reason this film earns a spot on the list is because Umesh Mehra’s film delves into the elderly couple’s relationship in a comparatively more expansive manner than the Basu Chatterjee film.

It also features early appearances from Anil Kapoor and Lucky Ali, so that’s another reason to check this family dramedy out.

Baghban (2003)

IMAGE: Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan in Baghban.

Sure, Baghban features Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini as a couple who have been married for years.

Still, the film treats their relationship like a quintessential Bollywood love story. Separated by their children, they long for each other over phone calls and eventually seek their happy ending by breaking away from the very family they nurtured.

Of course, the way they dote on each other, as if they are still in their honeymoon phase, continues to remain #CoupleGoals for many of us. When Bachchan’s Raj sings Main Yahan Tu Vahaan, it is hard not to feel the desperate pining in his voice as he misses his partner.

Pyaar Mein Twist (2005)

IMAGE: Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in Pyaar Mein Twist.

When it had released, Pyaar Mein Twist made headlines for reuniting the Bobby sweethearts Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia as a romantic pairing after years.

If their first film had their characters battling familial opposition to their romance, little had changed for them in the 21st century.

This time, it is their individual sets of children who object to the relationship between their lonely widowed parents and, much like Bobby, the older couple even ends up eloping on a bike so they can live life on their own terms.

Unfortunately, unlike the Raj Kapoor-directed classic, Pyaar Mein Twist failed to cast the same magic on audiences.

Life In A…Metro (2007)

IMAGE: Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali in Life In A… Metro.

Anurag Basu’s drama features several storylines that occasionally intersect with one another. One such track stars Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali as former sweethearts who reunite later in life and rekindle their romance.

The sensitive subplot carries a strong sense of poignancy, especially since one of them is battling a life-threatening illness, and it concludes on an unexpectedly moving note.

Life In A… Metro also created quite a stir during its release for featuring an onscreen kiss between Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali, something audiences at the time found surprisingly mature.

In Metro… In Dino (2025), the spiritual sequel, Basu once again explores a bonding between former lovers, played by Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta, who reconnect after years. This time, however, their bond remains more platonic as they help each other navigate their individual family struggles.

Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007)

IMAGE: Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi in Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.

Reema Kagti’s debut film follows a group tour to Goa featuring several recently married couples, one of whom is a pair in their 50s, played by Shabana Azmi and Boman Irani.

Though they become the subject of hushed gossip among the younger travellers, the duo are dealing with deeper emotional conflicts, from overcoming the guilt of finding companionship again while still grieving their deceased spouses to reconnecting with estranged family members.

All the while, they are also trying to find space to love and understand each other amid the sunniest of surroundings.

Irani and Azmi are heartwarming in the roles, and their track easily stands out because of the heavy emotional weight that the characters carry into their new relationship.

Golmaal 3 (2010)

IMAGE: Mithun Chakaborty and Ratna Pathak Shah in Golmaal 3.

Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 3 is a more chaotic and comic reimagining of Khatta Meetha and Humare Tumhare.

One of the film’s best aspects is the romantic track between Mithun Chakraborty and Ratna Pathak Shah. They play former lovers who could not marry in their youth because of class differences, but reconnect later in life after becoming parents to grown-up children.

While the film largely focuses on the antics of their squabbling brats, the flashback portions showing why the couple separated in the first place, recreated in the vintage 1980s palette and featuring a fun Prem Chopra cameo, are genuinely delightful.

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012)

IMAGE: Farah Khan and Boman Irani in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi.

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi marked the first lead role of choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan after years of appearing as herself in cameos.

She plays Shirin, a Parsi spinster in her forties who discovers love in a fellow Parsi, Farhad (Boman Irani), who is also unmarried and in his 40s. The romantic comedy explores the hurdles they face when Farhad’s mother disapproves of their relationship.

While the premise held plenty of promise thanks to its unconventional casting, the film eventually slips into a predictable narrative weighed down by unnecessary melodramatic turns.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani (2023)

IMAGE: Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani.

Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani is primarily driven by the passion and conflicts of the younger couple, played by Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. But the film’s most memorable and striking resonant thread revolves around a mature love triangle involving Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan.

Dharmendra’s character, who suffers from age-related memory loss, suddenly reconnects with memories of his youth and a clandestine, short-lived affair with a married woman, played by Azmi, who is now widowed. Naturally, this revelation does not sit well with his controlling wife, portrayed by Jaya Bachchan.

Yet, the rediscovery of this forgotten relationship ultimately plays a crucial role in bringing their grandchildren together.

Also, it is now impossible to hear Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar without picturing Dharmendra rising from his wheelchair to plant a passionate kiss on Shabana Azmi.

Vadh 2 (2025)

IMAGE: Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta in Vadh 2.

Although it reunites Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra in the lead roles, Vadh 2 does not continue the story of the first film.

Instead, it places them in an entirely new setting and different character roles. Loosely inspired by Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s acclaimed Malayalam classic Mathilukal, Vadh 2 casts Mishra as a detached prison guard who develops feelings for a female inmate, played by Gupta, who is nearing the end of her sentence for a double murder she insists she did not commit.

Their bond gradually blossoms through conversations held across towering prison walls that keep them physically apart. While the story takes a darker turn that lives up to the title, it is in how the film crafts this central relationship where Vadh 2 totally shines.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff