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When Films Love Making Young Actresses 'Moms' While Heroes Stay Forever Young (Do They?)

Here is a look at some of the most talked-about casting decisions that made headlines. Some were groundbreaking, some were confusing, and a few became legendary despite the controversy.

Published: Tuesday,Aug 26, 2025 12:46 PM GMT+05:30

Kunal Kothari

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How Films Push Actresses Into Mom Roles Too Early: A Timeline — Mom Roles

The news of Malayalam actress Swasika turning down a high-profile role opposite Ram Charan has set social media abuzz. Swasika, 33, was asked to play the on-screen mother of Charan, who is 40, in the big-ticket film Peddi. Despite the scale and the money involved, she declined. Her reason was simple. She does not want to slip into motherly roles at this stage of her career. Maybe later, she said, but not now.

That single choice has once again lit a fire under one of the most enduring and bizarre conversations in Indian cinema. Why are young actresses repeatedly asked to play mothers to men who are sometimes their age, sometimes a few years older, and occasionally even younger? The industry has treated this as normal for decades, even though audiences often find it perplexing, amusing, or downright infuriating.

Here is a look at some of the most talked-about casting decisions that made headlines. Some were groundbreaking, some were confusing, and a few became legendary despite the controversy.

Ridhi Dogra as Shah Rukh Khan’s Mother in Jawan (2023)

How Films Push Actresses Into 'Mom Roles' Too Early: A Timeline & Persistent Problem — Ridhi Dogra in 'Jawan'

Who would not say yes to a Shah Rukh Khan film? That is what Ridhi Dogra admitted when she said yes to Jawan. At 37, she was asked to play the mother of a 57-year-old SRK. Not only did she accept the part, she also went through heavy ageing makeup for it.

On paper it sounds wild, but Dogra took the leap because being part of an SRK project was too big an opportunity to let pass. Still, the irony remains. An actress in her 30s was aged up to play mother to a man who is twenty years older in real life. The industry shrugged. Fans chuckled. Dogra still walked away with attention, which is probably what she wanted in the first place.

Nargis Dutt and Sunil Dutt in Mother India (1957)

sdf — Sunil & Nargis Dutt in 'Mother India'

This one almost feels mythical now. Nargis Dutt was just 28 when she played the mother of Sunil Dutt, who was only one year younger than her in real life. To make things even more delicious, she went on to marry him not long after.

The film itself became a national treasure, so the bizarre casting faded into history. But imagine the whispers in the late 1950s. An actress barely out of her twenties playing mother to her real-life partner. What could have been scandalous simply ended up making history instead. Nargis turned what should have been a limitation into a legacy.

Sridevi and Rajinikanth in Moondru Mudichu (1976)

sdf — Sridevi & Rajinikanth in 'Moondru Mudichu'

This one is an oddity. Sridevi was just 13 when she acted in Moondru Mudichu and ended up playing Rajinikanth’s stepmother. The story had a twist that made it work within the film, but the casting looked strange in hindsight, especially because Sridevi and Rajinikanth later went on to star opposite each other as romantic leads in several films.

Fans remember it as an anomaly. Still, it highlights how early Sridevi was pushed into unconventional roles that did not always match her age.

Amruta Subhash and Ranveer Singh in Gully Boy (2019)

sdf — Amruta Subhash & Ranveer Singh in 'Gully Boy'

Not every mother-son casting has raised eyebrows. Amruta Subhash, who was 42 at the time, played Ranveer Singh’s mother in Gully Boy. Singh was 38.

On paper, the four-year gap might have looked strange. On screen, however, it was flawless. Subhash delivered a powerhouse performance, and audiences never questioned the believability. If anything, it showed that when casting is done thoughtfully and the actor is strong, even small age gaps can disappear.

Shefali Shah and Akshay Kumar in Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005)

asd — Shefali & Akshay in 'Waqt: The Race Against Time'

This one is legendary for all the wrong reasons. Shefali Shah was 32 when she played Akshay Kumar’s mother in Waqt: The Race Against Time. At the time, Kumar was 37.

The fact that she was five years younger than her on-screen son has been a punchline for years. Shah herself has spoken about it often. What is fortunate is that her career has since flourished. Today she is considered one of the most respected actors in India, but Waqt remains a reminder of how bizarre Bollywood’s casting practices can be.

Richa Chadha and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Gangs of Wasseypur 2 (2012)

sdf — Richa Chadha & Nawazuddin Siddiqui in 'Gangs of Wasseypur: Part 2'

Richa Chadha was only 25 when she played Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s mother in Gangs of Wasseypur. In fairness, the film was structured as a generational saga, so the casting made sense within the narrative.

Chadha’s performance was so strong that nobody complained. If anything, it showed her versatility and range. But the fact still stands: in real life, Chadha is younger than Nawazuddin. The story covered it up, but the oddity was there.

Waheeda Rehman and Amitabh Bachchan in Trishul (1978), Coolie (1983) & more

Waheeda Rehman is another actress who fell victim to the industry’s habit of slotting women into mother roles once they crossed forty. Just a couple of years after playing Amitabh’s romantic interest in Kabhi Kabhie, she was suddenly his mother in Trishul.

It was the beginning of a pattern. By the early 1980s, Rehman was boxed into motherly roles almost exclusively. This despite the fact that she was still glamorous, still talented, and still perfectly capable of leading-lady parts. The men got to play heroes into their sixties. The women were mothers by forty.

Honey Rose and Nandamuri Balakrishna in Veera Simha Reddy (2023)

sdf — Honey Rose & NBK in 'Veera Simha Reddy'

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping of them all. Honey Rose, 33, was cast as the mother of Balakrishna, who is 63 but often looks older on screen.

If the Shefali-Akshay pairing was odd, this one takes the cake. It left audiences scratching their heads. Was it a lack of options? A choice to massage the male star’s ego? Or simply the belief that audiences would accept anything as long as it was packaged with enough drama?

Whatever the reason, this casting call became a perfect example of the absurdity that continues to plague Indian cinema.

Rakhee and Amitabh Bachchan in Shakti (1982)

Talk about a whiplash. In 1976, Rakhee and Amitabh Bachchan set the screen on fire as romantic leads in Kabhi Kabhie. Just six years later, she was suddenly cast as his mother in Shakti.

Audiences were baffled. How could a woman who was once the love interest become a parent in less than a decade? Yet both films are considered classics. Rakhee pulled it off with her signature gravitas, but the decision remains one of Bollywood’s strangest age-related role shifts.

The Larger Question

These examples are only a handful from a long list. The recurring theme is clear. While male actors are allowed to romance heroines into their fifties and sixties, female actors are boxed into maternal roles much earlier, sometimes even while they are still younger than their on-screen sons.

It is not just Bollywood. The same happens in regional cinema across languages. The logic is never consistent. Sometimes it is justified as a narrative necessity. Sometimes it is brushed off as creative liberty. But more often than not, it is simply a reminder of the imbalance that still exists in the industry.

Audiences laugh, complain, and move on. The films sometimes even become classics despite the oddity. But every time a Swasika turns down such a role, it signals a change. Maybe slowly, but steadily, actresses are reclaiming their right to play roles that reflect their real age and real talent.

For now, though, the stories remain. Stories of young women playing mothers to older men, of awkward transitions from love interest to parent, and of casting decisions that will always leave us wondering: what were they thinking?

Let us know down in the comments below that from the lot of instances that you have seen above in this piece or otherwise which shocked you a lot, and also let us know about the ones that you did not mind much or felt it fit into the narrative well.

TL;DR

One year she’s romancing the hero, the very next she’s suddenly his mother. Bollywood’s habit of tossing actresses into mom roles opposite same-aged or older heroes exposes a glaring bias. The men stay evergreen, the women are aged overnight. The stories behind this switch are spicy, surprising and even frustrating. The names on this list will stun you.

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