Article-Boyfriends Box Office Chors?

ARE BOYFRIENDS BOX-OFFICE CHORS?

Yes, that's why Bollywood beauties are constantly in denial about their affairs de coeur

MEENA IYER Times News Network

Virginity has always been a virtue in Bollywood (both on and off screen). But being single (or giving the impression of being unattached) is even more important to the B-town actresses, is what trade consultant Amod Mehra believes. And you don't have to be Einstein to figure out that the Hindi film audience even in 2010 prefers to go for the 'single girl' as opposed to the ones who are in a marriage or a committed relationship. So though many of our Bollywood beauties are in relationships,
they don't necessarily like to flaunt their boyfriends.
Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati and Lara Dutta are "good friends'' but ask Lara about her relationship status and she doesn't blink before saying that she is "still more committed to her career than a relationship''. Sources close to Neha Dhupia confirm that she broke off with India's No.1 squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya because she wanted to concentrate on her career. And Ritwik reportedly wanted marriage.
Ameesha Patel is said to have broken off with steady date, London-based businessman Kanav Puri, to also concentrate on the movies. Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra have become pros at playing hide and seek with the paparazzi. One is sure Rani is secretly hoping that this will increase her big ticket prospects.
Priyanka Chopra says she is single despite all those constant rumours of her being spotted with Shahid Kapoor at convenient intervals. Katrina Kaif neither confirms nor denies her commitment to Salman Khan. And, of course, rumours of her proximity to Raajneeti costar Ranbir Kapoor is "fertile imagination of the fourth estate''. Sonam Kapoor squashed rumours of her 'involvement' with director Punit Malhotra quickly, and after her whirlwind romance with Ranbir, Deepika Padukone is not looking to get herself a steady date.
Trade guru Taran Adarsh says, "The majority of the heroines from the 70s have always tried to keep the public guessing about their personal status because they want to be the darling of the masses.'' He admits that marriage didn't deter the career prospects of a Sharmila Tagore, Rakhee, Hema or today Kajol and Aishwarya, but these are definitely the exceptions. "A little mystery about a heroine's romantic status helps. Today's girls may not subscribe to the view that being single is necessary to make a mark in the movies. However, they just feel
their personal life needn't be made public. Many of them may be in relationships but they prefer not to talk about it,'' says the trade guru.
"I'm not commitment phobic,'' says a leading film actress. "However, I'm not looking to flaunt my relationship because I know that producers and my leading men would rather have an unattached girl in their movies. It just makes things simpler.''
Putting the various arguments into place, it still does seem that being single is still a virtue in Bollywood. Ironically divas Kareena Kapoor (Saif Ali Khan), Bipasha Basu (John Abraham) and Aishwarya (Abhishek Bachchan) are in committed relationships and still very much in demand.
However, these women are still seen as the fortunate few who have the best of both worlds. But the larger majority in Bollywood is definitely in denial because they fear a boyfriend will definitely rob them of their box office.

THE 'SINGLES' IN TOWN: Rani Mukerji and (inset) Aditya Chopra

Kanav Puri and Ameesha Patel

Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif

Mahesh Bhupati and Lara Dutta

Ritwik Bhattachary and Neha Dhupia

Punit Malhotra and Sonam Kapoor